Blue Kissed Sky
by Bitchii-Usa
Summary: This short story is part of The Prince and the Heiress Literature Challenge! Based on the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. All it takes is one meeting for Vegeta to become captivated. And all it takes is one night, one pivotal moment, for it all to be thrown away. COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

**_Blue Kissed Sky_**

 _A/N: This one shot is for The Prince and the Heiress Literature Challenge, and is based on the book The Outsiders as a reference. All Dragon Ball characters belong to Akira Toriyama, and The Outsiders is an original work that belongs to S.E Hinton. Rated M for strong language and sexual suggestions._

* * *

I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on that color.

My life, the shitty cosmic joke that the gods seemed to give me, was a swirl of black and greys, an everlasting representation of death. I welcomed it, you'd have no choice to if you were born into the underbelly of a snake, and as far as I could tell, it wasn't going to change anytime soon.

The only other color that I was familiar with was red. A deep, cruel taunting red, the same hue as the substance that raced down my face and into the concrete under my cheek. I stared at it in a darkened humor, completely consumed with the idea that it was mine.

I could hear their laughs, the seedy vicious pangs of victory that escaped their grubby lips as they pounded their fists into my back, the bottom of their polished shoes scuffing my already busted cheek. A part of me wanted to patronize them for their half assed victory - the only reason they had the upper hand on me was because I was alone- but the words failed to climb the ladder of my throat, prisoned in by my swollen lip.

I was always taught to fight back, but damn there were so many of them that it was pointless to even unleash the beast that coiled in my belly, so I laid there, their voices becoming white noise as I focused on the cruelty of the thick red liquid that was now seeping through my nose.

I found the energy to look up at the bastard who knocked me down in the first place, the smug son of a bitch with the obnoxious, box dyed seafoam hair, attempting to call forth the darkest seeds of my anger to spill into my irises. If I couldn't physically fight back, I wanted the fucker to know that I hated him, and I would have my shining moment of victory in retaliation.

At least, that's what I wanted to do, but that damned color stopped me from my mission.

I knew my eye was swollen, the heavy stinging of my cheek and the heat of the socket was more than an indication, but was I hallucinating so much that I believed it to be the middle of the day, even though the moon shone directly in the center of the inked sky?

It drew me in like a moth to a flame, captivating me for what seemed like an eternity until I could give it a form. It was the most exhilarating shade of blue, the same hue that adorned the back of those Greek paintings that my cousin loved so damned much, short and curled, contrasting the pasty skin of its owner. _Hair_ _that_ _color_? , the only thing that I could think of at the moment, and the more I hypnotized myself into it, the less pain my body produced.

I skimmed down the figure, a girl with oceans for eyes, sad and determined and angry. Her cherry lips pouted in small pillows, and I realized she was talking. My chest felt light as I hoped that she was speaking to me, giving me that passion and fire and melting the ice that replaced my veins.

Instead, to my jealous discovery, she was pulling on the bastard with the ridiculous hair. Tresses that were not at all as wondrous as hers, but the kind that was picked up at a local drugstore, a science experiment gone completely wrong. Hers was, _different_ , as if the sky kissed her in passing, granting her the luxury of pulling anyone into a trance with a mere flick of a curl over her shoulders. I held my breath so that I could hear the voice that accompanied the vision, wanting my ears to soak in her tone until they bled with satisfaction.

"Stop it, Zarbon!" Even screeching, it was beautiful, a melody that mothers used to serenade their babes at night. Had I the energy, I would've asked for a song. "Get off of him, you guys have done enough!"

 _Zarbon_ , the name ran through my mind like poison, instantly making my stomach clench with rage. He stood over me, wrapping his ugly arm around her waist, tainting her perfect skin. It was wrong, all wrong, and I knew that the colors of our flesh were much better suited.

"If you can't handle this, babe, then you should just run on home."

"You're going to kill him!" her melodic voice washed over me, easing my cuts and scars, her tiny fists pounding maliciously against his chest. Her succulent legs were so close to my face, tight yet soft, the perfect contrast, and I wanted to touch them and get a taste of paradise. "Hasn't he had enough?"

"Babe, do you _know_ who this asshole is?" Zarbon threw his head back and laughed, cutting into the bliss that she cocooned me in. "He's a filthy _Saiyajin_ ," he spit his intolerance of the word physically by my face, and I could smell the wretched onions that lingered on his breath. My thoughts instantly went to her, wondering how she put up with the excruciating smell.

"I don't give a damn _what_ he is, there's no need for this!" She successfully pulled away from him, and I wished her to look at me so I could stare into oblivion. She didn't; I frowned. "Call off your friends and leave him alone! Whatever he did, I'm _sure_ he learned his lesson."

Zarbon clicked his teeth, his eyes running back down to me in irritation before cocking his head to the side. I instantly felt the weight of the fat one's knee subside my back, giving me a breath of fresh air. Dodoria, that was his name, a boy so fat he looked etched in pink, huffed and stood by Zarbon. He snickered at me, flashing me a smile that said that he was better. I would punch him first, the next second I got. The rest of his godforsaken crew—Ginyu, Recoome, Jeice, Burter and Guldo- silly names accompanied with even sillier hair joined them, massaging their hands like they were so victorious.

"You heard the lady Vegeta," Zarbon spoke, his voice full of clever for a half wit, crouching down to my eye level, "and you owe her for the fact that you can go home to those other disgusting piece of shit Saiyajins." He pulled my hair so hard that my neck cramped, the pain forcing me to moan to his satisfaction. I disgusted myself in that instant. He leaned in closely, the revolting smell of his breath tainting my nostrils, and threatened, "don't _ever_ let me catch you in our territory again, scum. This area," he waved his finger around for emphasis, "belongs to the Icejins. You stay your filthy, monkey ass in Saiyajin area. Know your place, or me and my boys will just have to knock you back into it again." I clenched my teeth at the slur; _monkey_ because according to them our wild hair that grew from our scalps resembled primates, and tasted iron and metal. He dropped my head and I hit the concrete hard. Goddamn him; goddamn him and all of those stupid ass Icejins.

"Come on, Bulma," Zarbon called to the girl, who I realized had finally cast her oceans on me. It was sympathetic and sad, and I scowled that such a look was designed for me by a face such as hers. She shrugged her shoulders and mouthed an 'I'm sorry', before following suit behind them.

My eyes never strayed from her, the blue mop of hair taunting me with every bounce, the loose curls slithering around and enticing me like they were charmers and I was the foolish snake. Even when she left, and I finally found the strength to pull myself up, the color still swarmed in my memory.

I knew it would be the last thing I would see before I drifted my eyes off to sleep, and for once, dreaming did not seem as such a terrible notion.

* * *

"Fucking seven hells, Vegeta!" My cousin and guardian, Nappa, hit his fists against the table so hard it rattled the cake that he was consuming. He squeezed his forehead in agitation before casting me a raging glare, smacking me in the face before his words did. "Do you _not_ learn your lesson?"

I immediately stared at the wall, the muscles in my healing lips writhing in fury from the weight of my frown, avoiding any other confrontational glares he could give me.

"Oh come on, Nappa, you know nothing scares good ole' Geets!" I looked up at Kakarot, my best friend, and scowled at his forced nickname for me. God bless the guy if he wasn't always smiles and laughter, even when I came home a week prior beaten to a bloody pulp. He helped dressed my wounds along with Nappa and Kakarot's brother Raditz, teasing me to lighten Nappa's fuming mood. His anger hung to him tightly like wet clothing, and I made sure to stay away from him for a few days. But he was a _fool_ if he thought that I would keep away from what I wanted to do, because some asshole Icejins claimed their territory.

"He's a fucking idiot, is what he is!" Nappa roared, and I turned to him just in time to see the muscle in his thick neck tighten and pulse, the end of his fork pointed in my direction. "And if you're going to be scared of anything, Vegeta, you should be scared of me!"

"Tch," I couldn't stop my reaction. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could easily take Nappa on, but then where would I go? Besides, he's been nothing but good to me since my parents died, and he's stepped up in more ways than one to see that I never wanted for nothing. Between him, Raditz and Kakarot—better known as the Saiyajins , named after the part of town we lived on- the need for a family was quickly washed away.

"This isn't a fucking joke, Vegeta," Nappa started to make his way over to me, "you could've gotten your dumb ass killed, going into Icejin territory alone. And now you want to go back? For a fucking three dollar show?"

"They don't own the drive in, Nappa," I retorted, the irritation sliding over me like a second skin, "And if we cower out, all we're doing is letting them think we're better."

"It'll be alright, Nappa," Raditz pushed forward, stuffing the last of his chocolate cake slice into his greedy mouth, "me and Kakarot will be with him. I guarantee those fucks won't mess with him as long as we're around."

"Yeah, absolutely!" Kakarot rose to his feet and positioned into a fighting stance, "I've been itching for a fight!"

Nappa sighed and brushed Raditz hand away. "Kakarot, you're still a young sap, the youngest of us all, so don't go talking about fights when you've never properly had one. You're too soft to do any real damage anyways." He couldn't stop the smile that radiated from his face as he faced Kakarot, and I couldn't blame him; Kakarot just had that effect on people. Nappa turned back towards me, his smile vanishing and the brooding 'dad' frown instantly taking his place. I hated when he belittled me in that way, treating me as if I was Kakarot's age. He waved a finger in my direction, his eyes tightening with seriousness. "You're my responsibility, Vegeta, and I swear to god if you come home tonight with a scratch you'll have to deal with _me_ ," he shoved a thumb against his chest for emphasis, "all of you scoundrels will. I'd come with you if I didn't have to work in a few hours, but if shit goes down you run back here, got it?"

We all nodded, silently accepting the terms to his verbal contract. With our consent, his shoulders relaxed, and he mumbled something about us being a hassle before resuming his fixation on his chocolate cake. I couldn't entirely blame Nappa for being so strict; he'd given up a lot to make sure we were all taken good care of, including working two jobs. And while I didn't consider myself to be a punk, I wasn't going to the drive in theater to pick a fight with those fucking Icejins. Running into one wasn't hard on my own; I could easily turn the corner and come face to face with their too good, spoiled pompous asses. I wouldn't waste my good money to prove a point.

I was going because I wanted to run into _her_ again, in better distance with that surreal color that soothes me with just a thought.

I didn't care who the hell she _thinks_ she's dating; I wouldn't feel right if I couldn't wrap my hands through her silkened tresses at least once. I'd show her a real guy, and not just one who wants to look tough to contrast his absurd amount of money.

I'd take far more beatings if I could come face to face with that ethereal creature again.

* * *

"Let's sit up here, Vegeta," Kakarot pointed to the few chairs in front of the parking lot, for those who didn't have cars. His grin damn near split his face in two, parting ever so slightly to shove his buttery popcorn through. He didn't even wait for me and Raditz before he found a seat and sat down, his hair earning grunts from the ones who sat behind him. I laughed inside, wondering how they would react when my hair entered their vision.

We plopped down in our seats, Raditz instantly putting his feet on top of the chair in front of him and devouring his nachos and popcorn. Animated beverages and snacks danced in cartoonish fashion on the screen in front of us, and I looked around the lot to see if she was here. She looked like a Friday night social scene type of girl, and anyone who lived in South City knew that nothing was more social than the drive in.

The movie screen dimmed, and the title screen scrolled up, announcing the start of the action film. I glanced around one last time, inconspicuous so I didn't catch the attention of my friends, and surveyed the scene hard. They were engrossed in their snacks and the movie, and I was engrossed with the nagging disappointment that nestled its way into my belly, creating a home. No mop of blue, no flirtatious curls, no cherry lips begging to be sucked. Just darkness, a sliver of light washing over the crowd from the screen. I sank in my seat, angrily stuffing popcorn into my mouth for distraction. All of this, all of Nappa's nagging, and she didn't show. I couldn't take it as a slight for obvious reasons, but damn it all if I wasn't upset.

Halfway into the movie, we were disrupted by a loud screech. My stomach barreled over as the butterflies did their dance, and I turned my head to the source of the noise.

"You jerk!" she screamed, slamming the car door shut. I could see Zarbon's pathetic pleas over through his dash, but she was having none of it. I smiled sinisterly at watching him look so defeated, and focused my eyes on the beauty. She walked over to the car next to them and knocked on the window. After a few words, another girl emerged from the car, giving passing words to her date. She was cute, her black hair piled to the top of her head in a bun and her bangs intruding her eyes, a figure of a dancer, but she was in no way on the level of the blue haired siren. Her short curls drew me again, bouncing against her shoulders in every step, a few strands tucked behind her ear. She was wearing a black dress that hugged her curves so enticingly, and I was drawn into the way her hips moved as her feet pummeled the pavement. Fuck, she was so attractive when she was upset.

My breath caught in my chest as I realized they were making their way over to our seats, sitting down against the plastic chairs in front of us. I heard Raditz create a sound of approval in his chest before looking at me and Kakarot. He raised his eyebrow before nodding his head in their direction. I wanted to tell him that I had already marveled at that painting, but didn't.

The black haired girl turned her head in disgust at Raditz's feet before turning around, her dark brown eyes alive with fury. "Hey, guy, where are your manners?" A wave of admiration wove in my chest at her attitude. "Feet belong on the ground, clown."

Raditz snorted, shoveling another fistful of popcorn into his mouth. "And little girl's mouths belong shut, unless it's opened around my cock."

She gasped, and blue turned around to glare at Raditz as well. Kakarot leaned over and pushed Raditz's feet down, his face in an apologetic grin. He leaned closer to whisper to the girl.

"Sorry about my brother, he's just rude like that. We don't want to disturb you ladies."

Of course by the power of Kakarot, the girl smiled, her expression easily softening. "That's hard to believe that you two are brothers. He's so vulgar and mean, but you're nice," if she tried to, she didn't do a good job at stopping the blush that intruded her cheeks, reminding me of apples, "and cute."

Kakarot laughed awkwardly before rubbing the back of his head, something he did whenever he was in the presence of a pretty girl. Or hell, _any_ girl. "Oh, well thanks. You're…you're pretty cute too."

The girl turned in her seat so that her knees touched the back, resting her chin against her hands. I willed blue to do the same. "What's your name, handsome?"

"K-Kakarot." The idiot couldn't even give his name without stuttering.

"Kakarot?" She raised an eyebrow before laughing, and the offense struck me in the chest. Her eyes, however, betrayed her tone, taking on a mild look. "That's a cool name."

"Chi-chi," blue said, tugging against the girl's sleeve. Hearing her voice again did wonders for my stomach, and I found myself holding my breath again like I did that night. "You're flirting with him while Jeice is behind us!"

"Oh who cares about him, Bulma," she responded, and my heart tightened with recognition of the name, "I only agreed to go with him because of you and Zarbon. He's too arrogant. Besides," she looked back at Kakarot and blinked her lashes at him, "I like nice boys."

Kakarot giggled and tried to find the words to say back before Bulma turned around looking at him. Her eyes drew me in deeper, the lightest shade of blue, like the sky before the sun has a chance to kiss it, and she smiled. "Sorry for my friend, I think she and her date were drinking in the car." Her eyes fluttered to mine, and those pillowy lips circled, her eyes widening with realization. I looked down briefly before noticing that she painted them in a shade of pink. A pity, cherry was definitely her color.

"Oh," she breathed, and I let go of the breath I had been holding, "it's you."

"You two know each other or something?" Raditz looked at me with a cocked brow.

"Or _something_ ," she said quietly as she bit her bottom lip, her eyes giving that damned sympathetic expression again. I didn't mind it too much this time, as I was too distracted by her bottom lip hidden behind her row of white teeth. I wanted to replace it with my own.

"It's alright," I gruffed, not wanting to show how awestricken I was. She had impossible beauty, the kind only crafted by an artist's hand, and I didn't want to taint her with my ogling.

"It's not," she shook her head, her eyes momentarily shifting back towards the car behind us, a glimmer of anger echoing throughout her irises, "he's terrible."

"And you _just_ noticed it?" I couldn't help my anger at her choice in men, wondering how she put up with it for however long she had.

"It's not like he was always this way," she replied defensively, before softening her tone, "but it's not my business anymore. I broke up with him."

"Oh," was all I could manage to say. I'm pathetic.

"This week," the girl, Chi-chi retorted, "we'll see how long it lasts."

"I mean it, Cheech," Bulma scolded, before looking back at me, her eyes soft and gentle, like a deer in the book my mom read to me when I was little, "I think I need a nice boy too."

I felt my cheeks go hot, and my arms uncrossed themselves at her words. There was no inclination that she was talking to me, but the smile that accompanied her statement and my nerves cast me doubt.

"Your name's Vegeta, right?" she asked, and I wanted to hear my name escape those lips under _different_ circumstances.

I nodded, my thumb lazily pointing down the row. "That's Raditz and Kakarot." Raditz winked in her direction; I wanted to slap him.

"So," her eyes weaved over the three of us, "are you all Saiyajins?"

"Yep," Raditz said proudly -he would never be ashamed of the label- "and judging by your whole wardrobe," his eyes skimmed over her curves to my dismay, "you two must associate yourselves with those Icejin bastards."

"Not anymore," Bulma's voice was full of attitude, and a heat began to brew in my belly, "I just told you that."

"Why are y'all called Icejins anyway?" Kakarot's innocence would put him in the ground someday.

"Not _us_ , them. And because of Mr. Cold," Chi-Chi answered, her eyes batting in an overly flirty manner at Kakarot. I'm sure if she knew that he was probably two years younger than she, her enticing manners would cease. "He owns the condominiums on the city's west side."

"Hmpph," Raditz snorted, "all that fucking money just for houses. Mommy and daddy lawyers and doctors, breeding stupid little shits like _Zarbon_. I hate that bastard."

Bulma flinched at the mention of his name. No one seemed to notice but me, which I didn't mind.

"I heard that Cold's son, Frieza, is doing time for that gang stint a few years back. And now Zabon thinks he can take his place. I can't wait to beat that motherfucker into the ground." Raditz nodded in my direction, catching the attention of Bulma. She pressed her chin into the back of her hands deeper, appearing childlike and innocent, casting her pooled orbs my way. God, I wanted to kiss her.

"So," Chi-chi smoothed out her bangs and leaned more over her seat, purposely showing her cleavage in her tight purple shirt to Kakarot, "you guys wanna get out of here? Maybe go to the arcade?"

Kakarot's eyes drifted down, catching her bait, and she smiled with satisfaction. I'd never want Bulma to go that far for my attention; she could just look at me and have whatever she wanted.

Kakarot nodded his head before standing, allowing Chi-Chi to lead the way. She tried hard to twist her hips in a womanly manner to entice him, but her frame wasn't as curvaceous as Bulma's. Without trying, her hips swayed back and forth, feeding a starving man with dark desires.

We followed them out of the lot, making our way into the cooling night air and down the street. I stuffed my hands in my pockets as Chi-Chi cradled her arm into Bulma's, occasionally turning around to talk to us. Bulma's laugh was infectious, and I had to look down to make sure I didn't trip over the pavement because of the distraction. Once or twice, I caught her looking at me out of the corner of her eyes and casting me a smile. Damn it all if this girl knew the hypnotizing magic she cast on me.

I wondered briefly if she was noticing the scar that etched its way onto my lip, tattooing itself on my flesh without my consent, before casting that insecurity aside. I had many scars that lined my body, and if she couldn't handle a small one on my face, then fuck her. She didn't seem like that type of girl, but one never knows.

I caught the light of the arcade teasing us up ahead, and Chi-Chi skipped a little farther in anticipation. "Almost there!" she sang to us, well to Kakarot. He brought his head down with flush embarrassment; Raditz chuckled.

A rush of feet on the pavement behind us ceased our walking, the heavy stomps growing more and more threatening. Bulma turned first, and the look on her face made my stomach tighten.

"What the hell are you doing following us," she said through clenched teeth.

I turned to see the little maggot Zarbon and his pathetic friends approaching us, hatred lining their faces. His jaw clenched as his eyes roamed over Bulma before landing narrowly on mine.

"I can follow you if I damn well please, Bulma," his eyes never left mine, his voice low and menacing, "you _are_ my girlfriend."

"I'm not your anything," she walked a little forward and stood next to me, and my stomach did that stupid dance again. "I thought I made that pretty damn clear to you back there."

Zarbon laughed, although the tone was anything but pleasing. "So you decide to hang with these fucking clowns? Your boy here," his finger stuck in my direction, "can't even hold himself properly in a fight."

"You say that because you caught him alone, you piece of shit," Raditz scrunched his fists together, and I could feel the tension radiating off his body like sunrays, "but I can guaran- _fucking_ -tee it that it won't be so easy this time."

Zarbon threw his head back and laughed, this one heartier than the previous. "Raditz I always knew you were dumb, but _god_ man, you are really terrible at math." He pointed to the group behind him. "There's seven of us, and three of you. Do you really want to bet against those odds?" He cracked his knuckles for demonstration.

Raditz chuckled darkly before turning to the girls. "You guys may want to head on to the arcade. We'll be there in a bit after properly disposing of this trash."

Zarbon growled deeply in his chest, and instantly I felt my defense rise. "You dare tell my girl and my buddy's girl what to do, you filthy fucking monkey?"

"Oh look boys!" Raditz put his hands on his knees, "it even _talks_ like Frieza! Using his pet name for us and everything! How good it will feel to watch the blood spill out of those underling lips." Raditz ran his tongue over the top of his teeth.

Zarbon's face twisted into something evil, almost reptilian, and he nodded towards Bulma. "Get out of here, Bulma and take Chi-Chi with you. I can't promise this will be pretty."

"I'm not going anywhere, not without these guys." She reached down and squeezed my hand. I looked down at our linked flesh before glancing back up at her face. She was still looking square at Zarbon, who looked like he was failing at holding up the dam of rage.

I squeezed her hand back, half for show and half because, _damn_ , her skin was soft. "It's alright," I told her quietly, "just do as Raditz says and go on up ahead. Wait for us, we won't keep you waiting for long."

She looked at me, and something - I don't know what- flashed in her eyes. She smiled softly at me before kissing my cheek. Time stopped for myself and for Zarbon, who was engulfed in an angry flame. She looked at me again before pulling away, the cold air cruelly replacing her warm palm. She grabbed Chi-Chi and began to walk ahead, turning back and looking at me with sad eyes. I nodded at her, silently telling her that it would be okay.

When they were out of distance, I turned back around to see Raditz walking toward Zarbon, his fists clenched. I had no time to let my mind wander off behind Bulma or her maddening aroma as the fight started. Something primal coiled throughout me, manifesting its way through my chest until a roar escaped my mouth.

This fight was long overdue.

* * *

I don't remember blacking out, but I guess I did.

Everything was swirling around, the stars above twinkling and bringing me slowly back into reality.

 _Above_?

My head was pounding as I came to the realization that I was on my back, the cold pavement only causing more pain to the bruises I could feel were forming.

Something jerked my attention, a low mumbling, and I sat up slowly to see the source. The pain came crashing down at once, and I caught my forehead with my palm and groaned. The mumbling brought me back to my attention, and I cocked my head to the right to see Kakarot sitting against the fence, rocking. His head was pressed low, and I was thankful to see he wasn't too badly injured. Raditz was pacing to his side, running his fingers through his long, untamed hair and sputtering out curses. I tried to clear the haze inside my brain to catch onto what Kakarot was saying.

"I had to do it, I had to do it, what have I done, what did I do, I had to do it…" he chanted the mantra over and over to himself, and I grunted loudly to catch his attention. He looked at me with watery eyes, his yellowish skin glittering under the moonlight. Kakarot was crying and my concern grew.

Raditz stopped his pacing and looked at me, catching a breath and tensing his arms at his sides. He walked slowly in my direction and bent down, his eyes soft and confused.

"Hey," he tilted my head back to see my neck, surveying for damage, "you alright?"

I nodded slowly, the tightness in my neck causing me to flinch. I tried jogging my memory to the last thing that happened, but came up short. A montage of kicks, punches and curses came to the forefront, yet everything else was white noise.

"I don't want you to freak, Vegeta," Raditz said slowly, causing me to search his face for answers to my frantic questions, "but I need you to listen to me and keep quiet. Nod if you understand." It was only then that I realized he was talking in low tones, and I did as he said.

"Okay," he breathed with relief, "good. Now I want you to look behind you, but I need you to not react before I explain. Can you do that?"

I nodded again, aware that verbal words were not what Raditz wanted from me at the moment. Slowly I turned my head, the body of someone sprawled out behind me. He was unmoving, still as the fence that surrounded him, the only movements he carried was his jacket dancing in the wind. I rubbed my eyes to make sure this was not an illusion, and with the confirmation, I took in the figure again.

It was Zarbon, and he was obviously dead.

I whipped my head around, my eyes asking the questions that my mouth dare not speak. Raditz sighed and motioned to Kakarot, who was still rocking in his position. My mouth went agape.

Kakarot's eyes met mine and he squeezed them shut instantly, fresh tears staining his cheeks. "He was gonna kill you, Vegeta. Oh god, I couldn't let him do that, I didn't mean to, but he was gonna hurt you real bad!" A shimmer of something caught my eye, and I looked down to see a pocket knife at the base of Kakarot's feet. I instantly recognized it as a gift Nappa had given to me a while ago, the same knife Kakarot held onto for me when they were doing searches at a mall.

The same knife that he had saved me with now condemned him.

I looked over again at Zarbon, now becoming aware that a fresh pool of blood haloed around him, making him appear as a fallen god. The stillness in his body caused my stomach to dance, but unlike the effect of Bulma, it was not pleasant.

I leaned over, away from Raditz, and wretched.

Raditz sighed and rubbed my back, letting me heave until only dry coughing fits were left. He used the opportunity to fill me in.

"He was choking you, Vegeta and you passed out. Kakarot had just finished fighting Guldo, impressive I might add, I'll have to tell Nappa," he chuckled guiltily, aware that the situation was not right for jokes, "and before I could stop him he ran over and stabbed him in the chest. It happened so fast, Vegeta. The other guys ran off, but we waited until you came to."

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, looking down at the street that I littered with the contents of my stomach. Everything had gone so wrong, and I couldn't help but think how Nappa would react when he found out.

Almost as if he was clairvoyant, Raditz spoke. "Don't worry about Nappa, I'll explain everything to him. He'll be concerned of course when you guys aren't there in the morning, but I'll calm the brute down."

I looked at him again, and this time the words left my lips beyond my control. "Why are we going anywhere, Raditz? Aren't the police coming?"

"They might." Raditz looked around and cursed, running his hands through his hair again. "It hasn't been long, and I suspect those guys just made it to the station, if that's the first place they were going to go. Now that you're awake, we gotta take you and Kakarot and get you on the first train smoking out of here. A buddy of mine that I did juvie with works at a yard, I'm sure he can get you something."

"W-why?" My brain had still not wrapped itself fully in the situation. Had I the time to process the turn of events, I would've seen the clarity of Raditz words within reason. But now, my brain could only think about what I was leaving behind.

Nappa.

My home.

My parent's items they left me.

 _Bulma_.

My stomach turned again at the last thought, and I thought my body would betray my resolve to stop the sick. How would she react when she found out her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, was dead? Or that we were the cause? How would her blue curls frame her face, or her cherry lips purse as she cursed our names to the heavens?

I touched my cheek in remembrance of her pillows against my flesh, the softness of it making me relieved and upset in a helix. Raditz shook my shoulders, bringing me to the present.

"Hey," he said sternly, "we've got no time for you to be lost in your thoughts. We gotta get you outta here, especially Kakarot! They'll throw him in the electric chair, Vegeta. Do you want that? Do you want my little brother, your best friend, to wind up in that predicament?"

I shook my head no, rising to my feet. Raditz was right, time was of the essence, and we were its borrowers. He dragged Kakarot to his feet, still mumbling and whimpering, but complying. He looked at me with saddened eyes and mumbled an apology, and I nodded to let him know it was okay. I hoped, sincerely, that he also took a heap amount of gratitude from the nod, regardless of how he was feeling at the time.

Raditz pulled out a cell phone and made a call, before crushing it to the ground and stomping on it. Raditz was a prime example of a career criminal and he took no chances when it came to covering his steps. He turned around to face us.

"Alright my buddy says that a train heading to the countryside, east of here, is leaving in the next thirty minutes. He's gonna give me the location of you guys when you arrive, and I promise I'll send you some more money and clothes when you get there. Until then," he pulled out a wad of cash, handing us both a hundred dollar bill, "this is all I can spare for now, but it should get you guys started. Don't talk to anyone random when you get there, and for god sakes, lay low. Keep out of sight until you hear from either me or Nappa."

We nodded, Kakarot's sniffles filling the silent void that slept between us. Raditz pulled him into a hug and nestled his hair. Breaking the embrace, he lay a hand on my shoulder and shot me a stern look.

"Vegeta," he breathed, his voice cracking under the strain of the emotion.

"Yes," the huff of air the came out of my chest felt improper, as if I wasn't supposed to be breathing at all.

"Take care of my little brother, alright? You two are all you guys have now, and you'll need each other. But he'll need you first, okay?"

I looked Raditz in the eyes, rising to his challenge as a man, as a proud Saiyajin, despite the negative connotations the Icejin's tried to belittle us with. I grabbed his hand and shook it, letting my fingers express my consent and words.

I took another look at Kakarot, his demeanor pressing heavily into my mind, and vowed that we would make it through this ordeal.

* * *

 _A/N: I will be posting this in about 3 chapters, and I will finish uploading the rest tonight. Please read and review, I'd love to know what you guys think!_


	2. Chapter 2

Kakarot and I arrived the next morning to a little hut, overlooking a large lake.

A short older man greeted us, his back curved over in a shape of a turtle's shell, a walking stick helping him keep his balance. He looked over his red sunglasses at us, his eyes slowly roaming over our bodies. I gathered answers to his unasked questions in advance, wanting to give him the necessary information without condemning us both. To my relief, he pulled his glasses back over the bridge of his nose and huffed, motioning his head to the house.

It was small inside, but homey. A table with various magazines greeted us first, and I saw Kakarot's cheeks flame red as he noticed the content of the publications. The man was a pervert, it seemed, but who could blame him when he lived so isolated?

"Do you have any bags?" The old man broke the silence, coming to a stop in front of the stairs. We mumbled no, and he turned to face us. I found it odd that he still wore his sunglasses inside of the house, but felt no inclination to comment.

"Good," his voice was cracking and overworked, a clear indication of his age, "as you can tell I don't have that much room anyways."

"Thank you for letting us stay," Kakarot's voice was small and childlike, his tone still showing that he berated himself for his actions.

"It's no trouble, but understand that this isn't for free." The old man took a seat on the first step, using his stick to rest his hands on. He cracked his leg and sighed in relief, and I hoped that if I ever grew as old as he, I'd be in much better shape.

"I don't care to know why you're here or what you're running from, but you will have to do your fair share of work. I'm getting old, and this house won't keep itself up. You'll do housework and cooking and whatever else I see fit. In exchange, you'll have a roof over your head, a fridge full of food and a warm bed to crawl into at night."

"Sounds fair," I responded, crossing my arms over my chest.

He nodded and leaned back against the steps. "You'll be sharing a room with the others, and bathing is done in the lake out back. Lights out at 9pm, I don't like my sleep disturbed."

"Others?" Kakarot appeared to be nervous, as if anyone new that he came across would punish him for his sins.

"Yes others. You boys aren't the first nor will you be the last that needs to get a fresh start. Like I said, I don't ask questions, the less I know the better. Besides, it's none of my business, just in case," he brought down his glasses again and I nodded in understanding. In case he housed the wrong kind of person, he could feign ignorance in case their offenses caught up to him.

It struck me that such was the case with Kakarot and I.

"The other guys are good, they do as I ask and don't cause any trouble. You should get along well, but if you don't then I'll revoke your stay. I don't have the patience for squabbles and other affairs, and I won't tolerate it under my roof." He let his eyes linger over us for a few moments more before propping his glasses back up and rising to his feet. "Do you agree to those terms, boys?"

We nodded, and I was eager to end the conversation so that I could be alone with my thoughts. Kakarot looked as if he would keel over in any moment from stress, and I knew he could also use the solidarity.

"Perfect. Well now that that's all out of the way, I suppose it's time for the pleasantries."

"The what?" I asked, my tone sounding more harsh than intended.

"The _pleasantries_ , boy, and watch your tone. I mean your names."

"Oh," I did as instructed and softened my tone, coddling my nerves, "its Vegeta."

He nodded and looked at Kakarot.

"My name is Kakarot."

The man snorted, a reaction I was accustomed to at the first mentioning of our names, but dove no further into his antics. "My name is Roshi, and I hope I'm making the right decision here. The others are out back gathering up the branches that came with the storm last night. Go on and make yourselves useful. We start cooking supper in the hour." And with that he turned and left us, grabbing a magazine and his untouched glass of juice before perching himself on the porch out front.

Kakarot looked at me and shrugged his shoulders, leading the way to the back yard.

Four boys were laughing amongst themselves as they worked, clearly together long enough to form some sort of bond. They ceased their laughter as we joined them and I took in their appearances. They all looked like they had been picked over, their clothes outdated and hanging loosely from their bodies. Clearly they had been eating well here, as their figures did not appear daunty or scraggly, and the work Roshi made them do gave them muscle mass. A feather of happiness swelled in my belly; at least I could get a little stronger as I bid my time here.

Two of the boys were bald, the sun shining down on their reflective scalps that were laced with sweat. The other had a nasty looking scar on his cheek, but it appeared that it was not an insecurity of his as he smiled at us. The fourth was the shortest of them all, his skin paler than any I'd ever seen, even Bulma's, and he wore a hat. His cheeks were a stark contrast to his flesh, puffy and red and giving him the appearance of pure jollies. The shorter of the bald boys approached us, his smile friendly and non-threatening. I couldn't force myself to return the smile, but I made no facial expression that hinted at displeasure either.

"You guys must be the new boys Roshi was telling us about," his voice was high in pitch, and upon further inspection I realized he had scarring on his forehead that resembled dots. He had been abused, probably, and used as an ashtray. Like the other, he did not seem phased by our presence so I looked away to his beady eyes.

"I believe so," Kakarot spoke, and I was pleased that he had not let his predicament harden his friendly nature. The thought alone made this whole venture tolerable.

"I'm Krillin," he extended it Kakarot, who accepted it, "and the other guys are Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu."

"Kakarot," he responded, and I was pleased that they passed no judgement in our direction, "and that's my best friend Vegeta."

I held up two fingers in a silent salute, the other guys waving back. Roshi was correct; their presence shouldn't be a problem.

"It's cool to have others here. For a long time it was just me," Krillin's face momentarily saddened, before his smile returned, "and then Tien and Chiaotzu came, followed by Yamcha. And now you guys!"

"Well hopefully this will be fun," Kakarot's eyes sparkled, almost losing the dark gaze that I thought I would have to grow accustomed to. I silently thanked Krillin for bringing that out of him again. "Roshi said we should help you guys."

"We're just gathering sticks, mainly goofing off though," The taller bald one, Tien, reached down and grabbed a stick before throwing it high in the air and catching it. He had a tattoo in the middle of his forehead of an eye, and I recognized it as a gang symbol. I didn't want to question it further, as I didn't want any meddling in mine and Kakarot's affairs.

"I was showing the guys some karate moves," Yamcha spoke, kicking his leg in the air for emphasis, "I used to be a black belt."

"Cool!" Kakarot mimicked him, and I knew he was amused because of his love for karate movies. "Can you teach me some too?"

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, Kakarot easily finding conversation among the boys. I didn't have a lot to say, more so observing the others, but once in a while I would make small talk with them. Yamcha showed us some of his moves, and I found myself practicing along with him, feeling powerful when I landed one correctly. Chiaotzu mainly followed Tien around, leading me to believe that like Kakarot and I, they had known each other for quite a while. Krillin talked to us all, trying his best to keep conversation flowing when silence fell upon us like a thunderstorm. I found myself liking him for that reason.

I also discovered that Roshi had several pets that roamed around. An unlikely trio of a pig, a cat and a turtle, but Kakarot loved them. The cat seemed to gravitate towards Yamcha, sometimes hissing if anyone else got too close to her, and he relished in the fact that she found comfort in his lap. I had never been an animal lover, but these guys weren't so bad, and therefore I tolerated their presence as if I had a choice.

After we cooked our meal and ate, Roshi had us clean up before bathing and going to bed. We all shared a single room, spacious to my surprise, with little cots scattered throughout. Chiaotzu nestled up to Tien, and Krillin looked at me with caring eyes, letting me know that the scene was not unlikely. The rest of us spread out in our own cots, the sound of snoring from the others quickly filling the room.

I lay there unable to sleep, staring at the wooden patterns on the ceiling. At any moment, I suspected it would drop down on me and make this whole thing go away. I sighed at my own dramatics, and found myself wondering about Bulma. What was she doing right now? Did she hate us? Would she take the side of her dead lover before knowing the full details?

The color of her hair invaded my mind, lulling me to sleep.

"Hey, Vegeta," Kakarot's voice pulled me from my almost slumber and I glanced at him. He lay stretched out, his arms folded behind his head and his face concentrated on the ceiling.

"What?"

"Do you think," I watched as his mouth closed, tasting his unspoken words to make sure they were sweet enough to say, "that there's such a thing as the afterlife?"

His question shocked me, I hadn't thought about such a thing in a long time. Not since my parents died, and I wondered if they were watching me from some cloud in a majestic world. I scoffed, but the question rattled me more than I wanted to admit. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because," he turned his head and his eyes met mine, "if there is, where will I go? For what I did?"

I sighed, not because his question was annoying, but because it bothered me that he thought he was wrong. He saved my life, and despite the outcome, he did it under the best intentions. Still, I couldn't stop the barrage of my internal questions of if it made a difference.

" _If_ there is one," I said slowly, trying to find a way to appease him, "then you'll go to heaven for sure. There are bad people in this world, Kakarot, but you're not one of them."

"Oh," he whispered, unconvinced, "I wonder if Zarbon knows that."

" _Fuck_ Zarbon," I said, gritting my teeth, and I watched Kakarot flinch at my harshness, "he was one of the bad people, and who knows what else he would've done if you hadn't…" I couldn't finish my sentence, refusing to tie Kakarot's name to such monstrosities.

He did not care. "If I hadn't stabbed him?"

My mouth drew open, and I quickly closed it and nodded. "I'd be in hell before you ever would."  
He smiled, a warm smile that one only gives close acquaintances, and shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so Getes. Without you around, I'd be pretty miserable. There's tons of good that come from that." I cringed at the nickname, but let it slide.

"What about Raditz?"

"He's my brother, he's around by default. You don't have to be, but the fact that you are means a lot. You could have let me come by myself you know," his face frowned, and the moonlight that poured in through the window only illuminated it, "you didn't do anything wrong. _I_ did."

I swallowed thickly, feeling my throat becoming tighter. Watching Kakarot's emotions paint over his face was slowly undoing me. I remembered Raditz warning- _"he'll need you first"_ \- and kept it together. Flashing a smile that I knew he couldn't resist, I feigned a yawn and rolled over.

"Stop talking that shit, Kakarot. We're Saiyajins and we stick together, always. Besides, you couldn't last one day without having me around."

He laughed, a soft one that I could tell was forced, his mind still beating him up internally. How I wish I had the magical elixir to free him from his self-torment.

"I guess you're right." The sound of crickets bounced off the walls, distracting us from the silence that slept between us like a forgotten weight. "Vegeta?"

"What?" This time I didn't try to hide my annoyance.

"Thank you." He whispered it, so soft that I had to strain to hear it, pausing before he added, "for everything."

I heard his sheets rustle, and looked out of the corner of my eye to see that his back was to me. A few moments later and sleep had taken him, the comforting and familiar sounds of his snoring knocking on the door to my eardrum.

That idiot, that poor helpless idiot.

Doesn't he know that _I_ should be thanking _him_?

The crickets continued their chatter, but it was not louder than the sounds of my own thoughts, berating me until sleep took me as well.

* * *

Time seemed to escape us at Roshi's house, the days turning into weeks. I looked at the calendar one morning after breakfast and realized that we had stayed there for a month. It didn't feel as such, our days becoming lost in working and chatting with our new acquaintances. Even Roshi was at ease, his business like temperament decreasing rapidly, and I soon realized he was a lewd old man with bad jokes and an appetite for women with little clothing.

The thought of Bulma did not leave my mind; in fact she became the forefront of my daily thoughts. A quick glance at the clouded sky would bring remembrance of aqua curls, and my stomach dropped upon realization that I still had not the chance to put run my hands through them. I swallowed it down, knowing that I probably would never.

A letter from Raditz came one afternoon, and although no return address was labeled, I knew it was from him by his shit handwriting. The letter was simple enough, and he explained that although Nappa was furious that we did not follow his instructions, he was relieved that we were not hurt. It also stated that he was worried about our well-being, given Zarbon's death. He was true to his word and sent us more money, and we decided to use it for the house so that we all could benefit. He said that he would be sending us clothes, but Roshi had found some old sweaters that he kept in his closet and they seemed to do just fine. Fashion and appearances was the last thing on our mind.

Before he ended the letter, he told us that tensions between the Saiyajins and the Icejins had only increased, and one of the fuckwads ratted us out to the cops. He said that he knew that they didn't care about justice and only wanted an easier way to find us without straining their million dollar brains and I concurred. Apparently the Icejins had tried to confront Raditz and Nappa to find out more about our whereabouts, but Nappa had gotten his pistol and that was that. It made me bitter to know that such atrocities were happening while we so far, and while grateful we could lay low, I felt more helpless than I ever did.

The only good thing that came from this was Kakarot's mood. Latching on to the boys had made him feel like a person again, so much so that it made me wonder if he had put all of that behind him. I hadn't the heart to tell him that we were wanted criminals; destroying a flower while it still bloomed was out of my nature.

It worried me that the ruse would be up and Kakarot and I would have to face our demons, no matter how determined they were to devour us. I made up my mind that if it came to that, I would take the heat for his actions. It would mean the end of my life, but if it meant that he could continue on, then so be it.

Roshi informed us that he needed us to clean out the abandoned building down the road from his hut, an old church from the looks of it. He was considering starting a small farm to add to his collection of animals, and of course enlisted us with the task. We headed out, watching the sun threaten to disappear behind the moon for the day.

The church was large but tattered, the panels where the windows had once been looked pathetically lonely and the paint was chipped all around the panels. It was haunting, in a beautiful sort of way, and we wasted no time in starting our task, the promise of bed lingering over us.

The inside of the church was no better than the outer perimeters, and it appeared that it had been looted prior. Several pews were turned over, and the ceiling hung in chunks with the threat of falling. We tread lightly as to not injure ourselves, lit a lantern and went to work.

Removing the pews was harder than we had anticipated, and it took us more than an hour to get the majority of them out. A few more remained, but exhaustion began to carry us, so we set it close to the door and took a break. Roshi gave us a sack of sandwiches and soda, and Yamcha had the idea to climb to the top for a dinner.

It was easier than I thought once we found an old shrubby ladder among one of the walls, going up one at a time so we did not excess the weight. Krillin was the last, clutching the lantern handle between his teeth and his sandwich in his hand.

It was a good night, to say the least, once we noticed the view from the window on the upper floor. Tien had managed to find a spot that seemed sturdy, and we huddled around the lantern with our meal, talking and laughing amongst ourselves.

The sun had vanished, taunting us with our unfinished work. Scoffing down the rest of the sandwiches, we packed our things and began descending down the ladder. Krillin went first, with the agreement that he would light the lower level so that we could see safely. Halfway down his journey, I heard him curse loudly, and we all huddled over the hole to see what had happened.

He met our eyes with worry.

"One of the steps gave way, and I dropped the lantern!" His voice was heavy with shock and laced with tension, and I peered over to see the flames kissing an old tapestry that hung on the wall, immediately igniting it. Krillin's face became illuminated with flames, and his chest rose with dread.

"Krillin!" Tien screeched, taking the position of the leader, "Hurry and climb down so that the rest of us can too!"

"I can't!" Krillin clutched the ladder, unaware of what to do. "There's a big step missing, and if I miss it I might fall into the flames!"

"Fuck!" I muttered under my breath, frantically looking around to see our escape route. I could smell the beginnings of a deadly smoke, bringing tears to my eyes. I noticed an option for us: a sole narrow window. Peeking over the side lay a thick patch of grass. It would hurt from the fall, but we would survive, and it would be better than to be licked by flames.

"Krillin, climb back up!" I moved Tien out of the way, screaming down to Krillin's frantic frame on the ladder. "There's a way out, but you need to get back up here now!"

He nodded, and moved his shaking body up slowly, once in a while looking at the growing flames that were beginning to touch the base of the ladder. Time was beginning to work against us, and I knew that staying calm would be the only way out of this mess.

I directed the other guys to my discovery, and one by one they inched through, plopping down on the ground below and grimacing with their pain. Looking over, I realized they were okay before I made my own fall. It hurt, but nowhere near as bad as the beatings I endured from Zarbon and his bastard friends. We moved a ways from the church, looking ourselves and each other over.

"Wait," Tien moved his head frantically around, his eyes widening in panic, "where's Chiaotzu?"

I counted us several times before noticing that he wasn't here. Turning around, I could see his small face waving to us from the upper level, his fists swaying desperately to grab our attention. Tears streamed down his face and smoke began to pour out of the window.

"Chiaotzu!" Tien rushed back over to the window, his arms extended. "Jump down and I'll catch you!"

"I can't!" he screamed, his voice wailing against the wind, "I'm too scared to move Tien!"

"You have to!" The urgency spilled from Tien's voice and I felt it shiver up my arm, the hairs standing up. "If you don't, you'll die Chiaotzu!"

"I don't know what to do! I don't want to die!"

"Then jump!" The tears began to fall from Tien's face. I realized how much younger than us Chiaotzu was, still a child at best. To us the jump was nothing but a few moments of pain, but for him it resembled death. Even the comfort of Tien's arms did nothing to sate his fear.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Kakarot removing his shirt and placing it over his head. Before I could digest what was happening, he circled the building, making his way to the front.

"Kakarot!" I screamed, keeping pace with him.

"I have to, Vegeta! Poor kid's scared! He'll die in there!" I understood his loaded words; his feeling of guilt could somehow be erased by saving the life of another. Before I could protest he entered the door, and I after him. The promise to Raditz weighed heavily on my tongue, and I could taste the regret if I had let Kakarot go alone.

We had to hobble over the pews that we placed near the door, the smoke instantly filling my tired lungs. It was thick and black, an overcast of a shadow engulfing the room, Kakarot's hair the only sign that led me to where I needed to go. The orange and red hues of the flame were becoming less and less clear and my head began to pound. The ladder that leaned against the wall had ignited in flames and crumbled to ash at the step. I could hear Chiaotzu screaming from above, and my heart panicked at the shrill sounds of his voice.

Kakarot looked around the room for any sign of help, a complicated endeavor due to the lack of visibility. My eyes were stinging, tears blocking my view as I put my arm up to cover my nose and mouth. Remembering the pews, I called out to Kakarot to help me move one to the room. We did it quicker than earlier, a combination of the adrenaline and the dire situation. We perched it up sideways against the wall, and to my delight it was tall enough to make it to the top.

"Chiaotzu!" I called, "Use the pew as a slide and come down! We'll get you out of here!"

Kakarot clutched the side of the pew for stability, coughing and covering his mouth. He gave me a thumbs up in between his fits, and I nodded in confirmation. Chiaotzu poked his head through the square above, his cheeks redder than they normally were. His eyes widened at the sight of the large, threatening flames, but I saw him muster the courage to follow suit. Sliding, in his eyes, was better than falling.

Kakarot caught him at the end, tugging his shirt and tossing him to me. The thick black smoke grew, and my head became dizzy of its fumes. The same door we came in felt further away, and I checked to make sure that Kakarot was behind me. When I saw his hair through the smoke, I continued my journey despite my trepidation.

The others were in front of the door calling out to us. I could only imagine the fear they felt for us, unable to see inside of the church, and I realized how insane we were to run into here. Pushing out those doubts, I made it to our origin and climbed over the pews, relief washing over me as my foot stepped into the grass.

Chiaotzu ran from me crying, clutching on to Tien's leg and coughing. I looked up and smiled, still in awe that we had done such a thing.

"We're fools, huh Kakarot?"

I didn't hear him respond, only the loud yelling of Krillin through the threshold. My head began to pound harder, and the world became dizzy as breathing became a luxurious chore.

"K-Kakarot?" I managed to wheeze out, not understanding why he wasn't lying next to me, before darkness engulfed me in its selfish shadow.


	3. Chapter 3

There's something poetic about absolute silence when all you know is noise.

It's a sinking feeling, but one that you become accustomed to, one that your body craves like it's an addictive drug.

I never knew the extent of my crave for the quiet until my next conscious thought.

When I woke next, I was in a white room, and for a moment I wondered if I had died.

The pain that laced in my chest told me otherwise, and I sat up and tried to take a deep breath. A beeping sound rang my ears, and I knew then that I was in the hospital.

Memories of the church fire came crashing down in a fiery rage, and my eyes widened at remembering the last encounter.

Kakarot had not come out.

"Vegeta," a voice caused me to look towards the window, and my eyes widened at the comprehension that it belonged to Nappa.

"Nappa…" my voice sounded foreign, my throat dry and raspy and I clutched it in an afterthought.

"Thank god you're alright, Vegeta," he chuckled softly, shaking his head and looking at the floor, "you and Kakarot just can't manage to stay out of fucking trouble." His eyes met mine, and an emotion that I have never seen Nappa display swam through his irises, his brown-almost-black hues watery with _something_. He wiped them quickly, leaving all traces of his sentiment behind.

"I know I'm not your parent, Vegeta, but damn it all if I don't try my absolute fucking hardest to make sure that your little pea brain works. I work so hard to make sure that you and Raditz and Kakarot have something in this shitty life, and you can't even keep yourself afloat long enough to give me some consideration."

"Nappa—"

"Don't," he raised a hand in the air, lodging my unfinished sentence in my throat, "just don't give me some half assed excuse, I don't want to hear it." He sighed and played with the hair that adorned his top lip, his lips fumbling as he thought about what he wanted to say next. I clutched the hospital sheets and peered a hole through him, demanding that he stop beating around the bush and tell me like it is.

"You were out for a day and a half," his voice was tired, and upon further inspection of the room, I could tell that he had spent the night. Goddamned Nappa. "The doctors said you inhaled a lot of smoke, but you should be alright if not for some problems breathing. They gave you an inhaler to take home, and you'd better use it. That kid that you two _saved,_ " he licked his lips and smiled, clearly proud of our mission, "was released yesterday. Inhaled some smoke too, but nowhere near as much as you."

"And Kakarot?" I felt that he was avoiding the topic, and the look on his face at the mentioning of his name confirmed it. I felt my stomach press down to my feet, the urge to vomit coiling upwards.

"He's…" Nappa looked away, and I prepared myself for the rest of the words. The corners of my eyes stung, and I waited with bated breath for the news.

"He's in pretty bad shape, Vegeta."

Bad shape, but not dead. Hope swirled in my chest, tattooing itself on my heart.

"Some of the ceiling," he continued, blinking away that sentiment again, "fell on top of him and scarred him up really bad. They managed to get him here to the hospital, but…" he shook his head, and the hope that once sparked inside of me evaporated. "He's in pretty bad shape." He repeated, almost as if what he really wanted to say would poison the air if it escaped his lips.

I looked down at my hands, bandaged and pink, and took a deep breath. Meeting my eyes back at Nappa, I took another shallow breath before asking the question that burned in my mind.

"Where is he, Nappa?"

Nappa nodded his head forward. "Down the hall, in ICU. Poor thing can't even focus on his own injuries, too busy asking about you."

"He's awake?" I blinked away the shock, not expecting to hear that.

Nappa nodded again, smoothing out the tension in his temple. "Yeah, woke up earlier this morning. I was surprised that he was up before you, but then again he's Raditz brother." He chuckled again before taking a seat in the chair I assumed he slept in. "Well? Aren't you gonna go see him?"

"Can I?" The question came out a bit more desperate than I had intended.

"What, you're asking me?" Nappa scoffed and threw his head back. "Nothing I ever say to you is worth a damn so why bother." He grabbed a blanket and put it over his lap. "I'll be here when you get back." He shut his eyes before I could get another word out, daring me to continue.

I slowly got out of bed, my muscles screaming at me in agony. The hospital was dreary; it's off white walls saddening and pathetic. I suppose what a hospital truly is.

Making my way down the hall, I ran into the other guys, sitting on the bench outside of Kakarot's room. They looked up immediately at my arrival, including Chiaotzu. I couldn't stop the relieved smile that tugged the corners of my mouth at seeing the kid unharmed.

"Vegeta!" he squeaked, running to me and hugging my leg. I had only ever seen him act this way with Tien and it was a bit off putting. Given the situation, I pat his head and tolerated his closeness.

He looked up at me with eyes so wide and full of wonder, a child's gaze, and smiled radiantly. "You saved me, Vegeta. You and Kakarot."

"Don't mention it," I felt something strange surge inside of me, but chalked it up to the relief that he was okay and _alive_.

"You say it so casually," Krillin laughed, rubbing his bald scalp, "but you're a hero. And everyone knows it."

"Everyone?" I raised an eyebrow at his statement, waiting for the punchline to the joke that I didn't seem to get.

"You boys are foolish," Roshi's stick clicked against the tiles of the floor as he made his way closer to us. I hadn't even noticed he was there, but his presence did not surprise me. "Absolutely foolish to run into a burning building. But the biggest fools must have the brightest souls, and I can't scold you for that." He shook my hand, taking a newspaper out of his back pocket with the other. He handed it to me, and I scanned the front of it.

 _Wanted Murder Suspects Save Young Boy's Life_

I couldn't believe it. Not because we were getting some sort of recognition for what we did, but because with this gift came a curse. I glanced around the hospital again, knowing that the demons I was so afraid of fighting were closing in on me, making it hard to breathe.

"He's been asking for you," Roshi's head was turned towards the door, his eyes no longer meeting mine.

"I've been told," I handed the newspaper back to him and looked at the door as well, a white sheet covering the Plexiglas that stood in the center.

"Well, there's no better time than the present," Roshi pat my shoulder and I looked at him. His sunglasses still decorated his face, and I shook my head amusingly. "Despite what this paper says, you boys are good, you hear me? I don't know about all this fancy murder business, but you both risked your lives to help out Chiaotzu, and no cold hearted murderers would ever do that." He squeezed my shoulder before letting go, leaving me to look at him in bewilderment. He motioned for the boys on the bench, each one patting my shoulder as they stepped past me.

"I'm sure we'll see each other around, Vegeta." Roshi's stick click clacked against the tile, all the way down the hall until the only noise available was the overhead of the air conditioner.

Swallowing thickly, I entered the room, the aroma of medicine and alcohol infiltrating my nostrils cruelly. Beeping from the heart machine as well as Kakarot's slow breaths filled the quiet, and I almost choked when I saw his condition.

He lay face down on a large stretcher, his body naked except for a sheet covering his buttocks. Gauze and tape littered his back, wrapping him like a present, his face pressed in a cut out hole in the table. His skin was red and raw, and it looked as if it would disintegrate if one breathed on it wrong.

His back hunched up and down slowly, painfully, as he fought to take his breaths. I stepped closer, afraid of tainting him further.

"Vegeta?" His voice was cracked and tired, but still his and I was grateful for that.

"Hey, Kakarot." The words were hard to come out, for fear that I would sulk down and turn into a sobbing mess here and now.

"Hey, buddy, you're awake." He chuckled and coughed, and I wanted to threaten him to not do that again. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Me?" My words were heavy, thick with emotion, and I found it harder to keep the energy to fight the tears that stung the middle of my eyes. "Why are you worried about me when you're in _your_ condition?"

"Aww come on, Getes," he laughed again, his lungs clearly struggling to put up with the added weight, "what kind of friend would I be if I wasn't concerned with my best buddy?"

"What kind of friend would you..." I repeated his words as if they were vinegar on my tongue, laced with disbelief that even in his predicament, he was _still_ Kakarot. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me, Kakarot. You could have _died_."

He grew silent, the echoing of the heart monitor coming to the forefront again. It was a while before he opened his mouth to speak. "Raditz left a bit ago. He told me about the newspaper."

I held my breath.

"They're gonna fry me, Vegeta. Either way it goes, I'm going to die, right? Might as well go out a hero."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Kakarot!?" My emotions betrayed me, tears racing down my face to see which side would finish first. "First you put your _entire_ life on the line to save me, and then you risk it again to save Chiaotzu! Don't you ever think about your fucking self first, goddamnit?!" My chest was tightening and hot, my breathing becoming rapid. Kakarot lay there silent again, my words pressing down on him like an iron weight.

"You should've just let me…" I clicked my tongue and looked away, disgusted with my almost confession.

"I should've let you _what_?" Damn his persistence.

I refused to answer, biting my bottom lip before he asked again. When he realized that I wasn't breaking my silence, he finished the sentence for me.

"Should've let you _die_?"

The weight of his words caused me to glance over at him, and I could tell from their watery tone that he was crying. I looked down at the floor full of self-loathing, the guilt consuming me like an underfed, greedy lion.

"Don't you dare," he whispered, his tears choking his words, " _dare_ say those words to me again, Vegeta." Something about the way that he said my name made the hairs on the back of my head stand up, and I held no response. "I would do the same thing over again if the situation was what it was. Fuck you if you say otherwise. You're my best friend, and I'll be damned if I have to watch you die."

I shook my head at his hypocritical words. He was upset at the fact that he would've had to watch me take my last breath, when here I was wondering if I had to do the same.

"Vegeta."

"I hear you, Kakarot." I walked to the head of his bed, his hair prickling my thigh. "I'm sorry," I rasped, taking in his weak profile.

He brought his fist to mine, the struggle to do so painfully and aggravatingly clear, and connected his knuckles with mine, the gesture something we had done for ages. I wiped the back of my eyes and grabbed a seat, watching him as his protector.

We talked for a while after that, until the nurse came in and gave him medicine that made him groggy. He warned me that he was slipping under its sedation and I waited until his snoring bounced off of the walls. Feeling content, I ran my fingers through his hair, fighting back my conflicting emotions and left back to my own room.

Nappa was true to his word, handing me a pile of clothes as soon as I arrived.

"Here, they're discharging you. Meet me in the car." He left, his words clipped and his tone defeated, and I alone in my thoughts.

* * *

The drive back was a silent one, only the fresh, cool wind whipping in my open window filling the void.

Nappa's hand clutched the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were turning white, his jaw locked as his teeth grit. I wanted to ask him if he was alright but thought better of it. I knew that I was the source of his discontentment.

The day was cool and damp, the sky promising a rainfall sometime during the evening. I let my hair get tousled by the wind as it thrashed violently against my otherwise stubborn mane. It sent chills against my scalp and I welcomed it. I watched the pedestrians on the crosswalk in absolute jealousy. They went about their days with pleasure, shopping bags filling their hands and enjoying their weekend to their hearts content. The lucky bastards.

I had hoped to see her amongst them, her flirtatious laugh and impossible beauty and her settled youth, hoped to watch her radiant cerulean eyes catch mine before she imploded into anger at the sight. I dreaded and anticipated it, my heart gathering in my chest at any sort of possible reunion. The thought was long stretch, this I knew, but it did not escape my bliss naivety. I would take her semblance of joy in my doomed circumstances.

Nappa pulled into a drive in at a local ice cream shop and I eyed him curiously. Surely he wasn't planning a leisure filled afternoon with Kakarot's condition and our problems looming overhead. He put the car in park and took a deep breath, wiping his nose and glaring out the window. I observed him closely, waiting for him to lash out at me like he normally would, and instead was surprised when he turned to me with softened eyes.

"Two pulled porks and a cherry coke?" I cocked an eyebrow at him before nodding, my stomach betraying the questions I wanted to ask. My order had not changed since I was a child, and the thought of barbecue sauce and fizzy soda made my mouth water with anticipation. He grabbed his wallet and got out of the car, not bothering to look back as he headed inside.

A short while later, he returned with our food and handed me a tray. He turned the key in the ignition so that only the radio played, a rock station to accompany our meal. I unwrapped the foil and took a bite, instantly relishing the smoky flavor before washing it down with a swallow of coke. Nappa had a hamburger, and was chewing over the meat, and his words, slowly.

"Vegeta," he said in between bites, swallowing so hard I could see the lump going down his throat, "I don't want to waste time by giving you the impression that you're coming home to peace." He looked at me out of the corner of my eye before I broke the stare, glancing down at the foil wrapped sandwich in my lap. The food had suddenly lost its decadent flavor.

"The Icejins," he continued, "really have it out for our blood. Me and Raditz have been preparing for whatever war they bring, but I don't suspect it'll be like anything we've ever had. With Kakarot out of the game for a bit, it's just us three." He shifted in his seat to face me, and I met his gaze, feeling the seriousness vibrating off of him and tapping me on the shoulder. He took a sip of his coke and sighed. "And those odds just don't look good, even if Zarbon _was_ their strongest player."

"Are you doubting our strength, Nappa?" I narrowed my eyes at him, disturbed that _he_ of all people declared our loss before we even began. "As it so happens, I've gained a little muscle in the month that I was away."

He nodded before biting into his hamburger again. "I've noticed, and that's well and good. But do I think it's enough to turn the favor in our tide?" He shook his head as he chewed, "absolutely not."

I felt angry at his words- angrier at his lack of faith in me- and turned away to look outside. I felt him move again but made no effort to face him.

"This is serious business, Vegeta. The cops want to put you and Kakarot away for good, you more so as an accomplice. And if Kakarot pulls through, _if_ he pulls through, a life sentence in prison is the best he can hope for. South City aint so kind to murders, especially when their victims are rich little pricks like Zarbon."

" _If_?" The syllable felt like poison on my tongue, and I brushed my teeth over its pink surface to clear the aftermath. "Don't you mean _when_?"

Nappa sighed, and I could see his nervous habit of rubbing his head out of the corner of my eye. "I won't lie to you, Vegeta. Come on, you've seen him. Death would be a mercy for him, and I don't like saying any more than you, but it doesn't make it less true."

"He was fine when I left him," my fists were creating an unforgivable dip in my sandwich, the pork and sauce oozing from the bun and spilling into my lap, "he was talking and everything. What kind of friend are you if you're already sending him to the grave."

"The kind who prepares before it hits us like a sack of bricks."

It was silent after that while I stewed on Nappa's words, angry and revolting that he could be so careless. Kakarot _would_ be alright or I would kill him myself.

"Oh shit," Nappa mumbled under his breath, a warning of some sort, and the car rocked as he sat up straighter. I turned around to see the source of his profanity, and scowled at the discovery.

Dodoria, with all of his excess fat disgustingly hanging off his body, was approaching our car with Burter, a boy with bad skin and greasy hair, the tips dyed an obscene blue. I had no idea what was with the Icejins and their obsession with multi colored hair, but I figured it was something done to give them more of a street appeal. It made my stomach churn.

Napa got out and I followed suit, abandoning my half eaten sandwich. He leaned against the driver's door, crossing his arms and scowling. I walked around and mimicked his stance against the back door, shooting daggers into Dodoria with my eyes. Each step was a struggle for him, his face growing pinker from the exercise every time his foot met the pavement. I felt bad for the pavement.

"Well, well, well," his annoying voice that showed his lungs struggle to fully expand was intolerable to my ears, "look at what the devil spit out from hell." Burter laughed as if the joke was funny. Nappa touched my arm slightly to tell me to not fall for their trap before resuming his position.

"What are you doing in this part of town, Dodoria?" Nappa's voice had dropped several baritones, threatening and dark.

Dodoria raised his palms in the air, immediately resembling Buddah. "What, a guy can't come for a shake and fries?"

Nappa's eyes narrowed and Dodoria chuckled, licking his lips and giving me nausea. "One of my boys called me and told me that they saw a flame haired little shit going out for shits and giggles. And why, I just _had_ to come see if it was true. And what do you fucking know, here he is." He looked at me like I was a piece of chicken and he was a starving boy, but I did not cower down like he would have wanted. I meant my words; Dodoria would be the first one I punched when the time arose.

"So you drove all the way down here in your fancy fucking car for what? To pick a fight?"

"Oh no, no, no Nappa," he smiled, showing all of his canines and their disgusting yellow film that covered them, "while I would _love_ to beat him down to the ground so badly right now, it just wouldn't delight me at all. I come with," he clicked his teeth and looked ahead at the sky, "a proposition, of sorts."

"Oh?" I opened my mouth before I could think, earning a wicked glare from Nappa, "what sort of proposition?"

"Whoa," Dodoria turned to Burter, "it looks like our guy Vegeta here grew some balls in his absence." He looked down at my arms that were bulging through the cutouts of my muscle tee. "And got some weight on him too."

"Dodoria, tell us what you came for before my patience runs thin. I know that the idea of anything being thin is foreign to you, but it means that you're running out of time." I beamed at the sight of Dodoria's face frowning; for all of his tough-guy stature, he was sure sensitive about his weight.

"Fuck you, Nappa," he spat, and I turned to see Nappa's moustache turning upwards into a grin, "fine, I'll get to the point. We want an all-out brawl, next Friday. In the park of downtown South City."

"What are the terms of said 'all-out' brawl?" I could hear the disbelief of such an offer spilling from Nappa's lips.

"The Icejins want to prove once and for all that we're better than you scum shits, and we want you guys to go away. _For good_. When we win—"

" _If_ you win."

" _When_ we win, for fuck's sake Nappa, you and the rest of your monkey friends will get the hell out of South City. Find some other town to release your stank on. And in the unlikely case that we don't, the Icejins will call off all claims of territory, and leave you alone. As long as you don't fuck with us, we won't fuck with you."

Nappa laughed, causing me to chuckle although I wasn't one hundred percent sure as to why. "It sounds to me like you're just a chicken shit, Dodoria. Like you know that you could easily go down, just like that fuckwad Zarbon."

Dodoria grit his teeth and Burter stepped forward, his fists clenched and the veins in his forearms throbbing. Nappa leaned off of the car briefly, ready for a fight, when Dodoria's jiggly arm cut Burter off.

"Not here, not now," he warned Burter before redirecting his attention back to us. "I'll make you regret those words, you monkey bitch." He spat at Nappa's feet. "You and your boys better make sure that you're at the park on Friday, and be prepared to have a real go at it." He looked at me and smiled slyly. "That is, if _you_ can make it Vegeta. I heard the cops are looking for you and your friend Kakarot. Where is he by the way?"

"Oh didn't you hear, Dodoria?" Burter's ugly, beady eyes met mine, a wicked grin escaping his lips. "The dumb monkey fuck tried to play hero and burned himself to a crisp. I think the little shit is in the hospital, but the papers say he aint gonna make it. Stupid monkeys can't even save a kid right."

This time it was my turn to be held back, my vision raging red as the words left Burter's lips, Nappa's strong arm holding me in place. How _dare_ the coward say anything about Kakarot? Nappa shook his head at me. I opted for verbal retaliation instead.

"Where was all that spunk when _that monkey fuck_ was stabbing your precious Zarbon, hmm? If I recall, you ran like a little bitch."

Burter grinded his teeth and cast a death stare in my direction. I smiled, smugly crossing my arms at the upper hand I had given myself. Even Nappa chuckled at the amusement.

"We'll see how many pretty words you have when it's you lying under my knee, _again_ ," Dodoria laughed, "either that or behind a jail cell. I can't wait to hear how good you've become someone's prison bitch." He turned on his heel, his shoe squeaking in protest. Burter scowled at me once again, not liking my blunt truth, and left as well. Dodoria stopped mid stride and called out over his shoulder:

"Send Kakarot my regards. Maybe I'll visit him later, see that stupid mop of hair before he kicks the bucket." He left before I could act out my rage. The comment had gotten under the skin of Nappa, and I noticed the inside of his palms contained angry red streaks left behind by the pestering weight of his fingernails.

I watched them walk off, the inside of my chest blazing hot. All I had to do was make it to Friday, and put those punks out of our hairs for good.

* * *

That night, for the first time in my life, Nappa broke down in the silence of his room.

His cries echoed off of the walls, hitting me squarely in the chest. Not even the allure of Bulma's aesthetics could lull me to sleep.

* * *

I visited Kakarot as much as I could during the following week, earning grunts from the nurses who declared that he needed rest. Each day that passed he grew tired earlier than the previous, blaming it on the increased dosage of his medication. Nappa's words ricocheted around my brain like bullets, and I tried as hard as I could to swallow down my fears. It was foolish, I won't pretend like my naivety and pride aren't my biggest downfalls, but when it came to losing someone so close to me, I had no other choice than self-preservation.

Friday came in like a freight train, and the skies understood our somber moods as thunder forced out its angry, violent breath. I dressed that morning more meticulously than other days, spending far too long in the shower and earning several reprimands from Nappa and Raditz. My sluggish moves weren't the reason of the fight, more so to the anxious storm that brew inside of my belly. I am no clairvoyant, but even I could feel the unsettling aura of the airs.

I left and went to visit Kakarot, finally deciding to tell him of what was to happen that evening. I had not wanted to upset him by telling him prematurely, but as a Saiyajin, he was obligated to know what we were up against. I hoped sincerely that he would not be too displeased that he could not join, but wouldn't have blamed him if he was.

The hospital set right underneath the abysmal grey clouds, instantly making my skin coil. My steps to the entrance became hitched, my shoulders weighing heavy with dread of telling Kakarot of tonight's extravaganza.

I had barely made it halfway up the ramp when I heard my name called, my stomach instantly swirling in a tornado and my chest fluttering with possibilities. I turned and saw the sun; a beautiful transition to this dreadful day. She smiled a half grin, and I just about lost it.

"Hey," her voice was light and airy and she carried a balloon and a card in one hand. The reflective metallic picked up the green spectrums in her blue hair and I wished at that moment that I was an artist so that I could have captured it.

"Hey," I could only breathe out the response as my mind raced with words unsaid. The girl was with her, Chi-Chi, and she pressed her lips together into a grin. They were glossy, and I didn't miss the way she slicked her hair down smoothly. She looked like a panda today, with her two buns tightly wrapped on either side of her head, her bangs still invasive to her eyes. They had come to see Kakarot, if her prep and priming had any say so in it.

Bulma inched closer to me, and I could smell the floral fragrance that covered her like a second skin in my nostrils. I had to stop myself from reaching out to touch her and run my teeth against her flesh. Even in her casual attire of blue shorts and a white top she still looked appealing; her thick legs hidden to my dismay under sheer black stockings. Her hair was piled to the top of her head and secured with a bandana, and I thought of how perfect she would be on the arm of a Saiyajin like myself. A princess, perhaps.

"We came to see him," Chi-Chi announced, her tone almost apologetic. "We, uh…didn't know if we were supposed to at first."

I nodded, understanding their predicament, but chose not to respond to them. Whether or not they were angry, they had still come and for that I was glad.

Bulma looked at Chi-Chi and smiled, a secret passing between their eyes and finding its way on Chi-Chi's lips as she returned the expression. She grabbed the balloon and the card, and with a wave, she scuttled off to the door, giving a leaving choice of words to Bulma and myself, but I was too caught up in the haze of ocean orbs to focus on anything else.

Bulma shifted her weight to one leg and bit her lip. I knew she felt uneasy, so I gestured us to the curb of the lawn, resting my weight against one of the pillars. She followed suit, but the tension still slept between us.

"How is he?" Her gaze was shifted upwards, concentrating on the angels etched into the overhead of the ramp, and I frowned.

"He's…doing, I suppose."

"Oh." She sighed heavily, and I wasn't sure if I had to fill the void, not knowing if there was something that she wanted me to say. Luckily, I didn't have to ponder for long. "I was pretty angry, you know."

"I don't blame you." I had prepared myself for this, and surprisingly my voice did not betray my nerves.

"When you guys didn't come to the arcade, I got worried, thinking Zarbon was up to his old tricks. By the time we got back…well, _you_ know the rest." Her voice was flat and void of emotion, as if she had prepared for this as well.

"Look, Bulma—"

"Raditz told me."

I blinked, biting down my unfinished sentence as she finally turned to face me. Her eyes were sad then, and I wanted to brush my thumb over her cheeks to ignite the spark that I loved.

"I ran into him yesterday at the mall. I had a few _choice_ words for him," she chuckled, and I mocked her, wanting to have been a fly on that wall, "but he told me what Zarbon did. So I'm sorry for that."

"It's not your apology to give."

"It's no one's apology to give, but it won't make me take it back." The fire ignited, finally, in her irises, and her lips pursed like a ripened cherry. _God_.

"You're all dumbasses, fighting and carrying on. I know what's going to happen tonight, Vegeta. Just because Zarbon….I still know a lot about everything, I'm not stupid."

I looked down, not wanting to meet her gaze anymore. "Then you understand why it has to be done."

" _No_ , I don't. You're all acting like children, Icejin this and Saiyajin that, who gives a shit what part of town you're on? How many more people have to die before you all realize that?"

She had managed to get under my skin, and I finally met her gaze, her chest puffing with constrained irritation. I grit my teeth, unable to hold in my own lashings.

"It must be _so_ easy to say that when you look the way you do. Or have the money you have and live in your big house. You think you know it all? You think you're the smartest girl in the world because you want us all to hold hands and sing kumbaya or some shit? Well, tough luck. _We_ didn't start war with the Icejins; you can thank your good ole' Frieza for _that_ bullshit. But we're not gonna lie down and take it either. We've got too much pride for that."

"Pride? _Pride?_ You're going to beat each other like buffoons over fucking pride?!"

"Well if you know a better way, _please_ share princess, because I would love to fucking know. But right now, my best friend is laying up there hanging on his life because some stupid Icejins love to fuck with us. So yes, I plan to fight them, and even better I plan to _win_. And if you don't like it then you can just _fuck off_."

She gasped and I instantly regretted my words. I hadn't meant to be so harsh, but as I said, she got under my skin.

"I didn't come to fight with you, Vegeta." Her voice was smaller, and I was relieved that she hadn't taken too much offense to my words. "I really am sorry about Kakarot, but I don't understand why you still feel like you _have_ to go through with this."

I chuckled and walked closer to her. I could hear her breath hitch in her throat as I rubbed my hand over hers, taking in the softness of her flesh. I could feel my own features lose their scowl as I drunk her in.

"It is a lovely thought," my voice was lower and huskier than I intended, "to live in the type of world you want, Bulma. And I would love to live there with you, if it were possible."

A grin escaped her lips, and she turned my palm over so that her fingers interlocked with mine. I stared at our meeting of skin; her pale and pink-undertone flesh fitting perfectly against the mold of my olive skin. It was a beautiful sight, really.

"It would be nice, wouldn't it? We could do normal things, like hold hands at the drive in without a fight."

"I'd buy you popcorn."

"And an Icee. With all the flavors in the cup."

"Blue Raspberry on top, so that it would match your hair."

She laughed; my heart fluttered. "And you would invite me over and I'd cook for you. You'd tell me that you loved it and take me to bed."

"I'd never let you leave the room."

"And one day, after a long time of dating, maybe you'd propose."

"I would."

"I'd give you children, like a good little wife. A boy, maybe, with features like his father."

"And hair as majestic as his mother. I'd want him to keep those traits."

"What would we name him?"

"I don't know. I'd let you pick."

"Hmmm, maybe Trunks. Like my grandpa."

"Trunks," I let the name roll off my tongue, a name that I knew I would never call, and felt my mouth turn into a frown. "I would have liked that name."

I watched her eyes lock onto mine, a question lingering in them. She closed the gap between us, her cherry lips mashing over mine. It was rushed and messy, an indication that she hadn't planned on doing it, and I grabbed her chin to slow her down. Her lips were sweet, like cotton candy at the South City Fair, and I begged for permission to explore more of her with my tongue. She moaned a little as she gave me access, her arms wrapping around my neck. I coiled one arm around her waist and the other roamed in her bun of curls. It was as soft as I envisioned and I came undone.

We were like that, for what felt like an eternity, her plush lips finding solace against my hardened ones, my hands massaging down her lower back and resting above her buttocks. I had never in my life wished for anything as I did that time would stop, and I could lose myself guilt free in the nirvana of Bulma.

Her kisses slowed, her warm tongue leaving my mouth to my disappointment, soft pecks of her lips in its wake. She pressed her forehead against mine as I opened my eyes to meet hers, our chests colliding together with our heaving breaths. It had felt, if only for a fleeting moment, that this was how everything in the universe was created; the solid embrace of two lovers personifying their attractions.

"It _would_ have been lovely, Vegeta," she whispered against my mouth, and I fought the urge to capture her lips with my own again, "that life. Maybe in another universe, in another timeline, in another future…"

"Maybe."

She leaned away, and I will always hold near the reluctance of her actions in doing so, and released her hold on my neck. Her hand raked down my arm, grabbing my own hand before completely pulling away, and I squeezed her fingers as a last memory.

She watched me for a second, her eyes indicating a debate over what to say, before flashing me a smile and a bite of her lip. She turned to leave.

"Bulma?" My tone was needy and desperate, but I let it be.

"Yes?"

"In that universe or timeline, in that other life, come and find me. I would love to live such a life with you."

"You got it." She winked at me over her shoulder, and then she was gone.

And I am not ashamed to admit it, but a piece of me went with her.

* * *

They both were gone by the time I had composed myself and made it to Kakarot's room, their small gifts a reminder that they were there. Tien, Yamcha and Krillin were in the room as well, keeping Kakarot's spirits lifted as they discussed funnier times at Roshi's.

They had all listened as I told them of our plans that evening, and Kakarot took it better than I expected. He said his words of our impending victory, giving me a thumbs up and a fist pound. I told him that the victory would be in his honor as it would not be complete without his presence. He made me promise to come tell him the results. I agreed.

Even though his face was hidden, I was willing to bet that he was smiling that grin that was so _Kakarot_ , and I meshed the top of his hair with my fingers as an exchange.

Upon hearing the news, and our lack of Saiyajin representatives, the others offered their services in the fight. It wasn't their pride to avenge, and I was sure that they had never even _heard_ of the Icejins, but I would be a bigger fool to deny extra help. Besides, I had seen some sort of display of their skills back at Roshi's, and I confidently believed they could at least help us stand our ground. I would owe them for their efforts, I vowed this internally.

A nurse came in and sighed at us, reprimanding us for once again staying too late. She filled Kakarot's vial with his sleepy time elixir, and waddled out of the room, threatening us with another five minutes of visitation at best.

I watched him until his slumber stole him; his breathing alarming me due to his labored movements. The others had reached the same sentiment, the fear washing over their faces like clown paint.

I told them where to meet us before leaving to meet up with Nappa and Raditz. The sky was kissed black, the stars scattering about in their best attempts to light the pavement with the moonless night. I looked at them in awe, my mind skimming over if Bulma was watching the same silver splattered sky and whose side she would be cheering on.

The thought did not procreate any further, for I knew in my heart of black hearts that she cursed us all, in the name of better good.

The park was empty when we arrived, and we used the time to prepare ourselves with stretching and light sparring.

The others showed, as promised, and after the _pleasantries_ , thank you Roshi, Nappa and Raditz seemed to ease their tight muscles with the promise of extra help.

At a quarter past midnight, the Icejins showed. Dodoria's eyes damn near popped out of his meaty head at the sight of three extra fighters on our side, but he quickly regained his cocky posture, taunting us with how they would come out victorious.

"Do you remember what you said, Nappa," his voice was wheezy and dark, "back at the ice cream joint?"

"Every. Fucking. Syllable," Nappa's grin threatened to split his face in two, igniting more of Dodoria's wrath.

"Well then you also remember my promise to you," he rubbed his fist in his other hand, spitting off into the grass, "and I always make good on my promise." He walked towards Nappa, but I cut him off immediately.

"I want this one, Nappa," my tone was foreign, dripping with venom, but I believed the honesty in context whole heartedly, "don't interfere."

I don't know if Nappa agreed or not, for the next thing I know, Dodoria's gushy flesh was under my fist, and _damn_ it felt good.

At the sight of first contact, the others lunged at each other, the quiet night becoming filled with skin on skin brutal contact and cries of fury. Dodoria had managed to lay me on back due to his heavy weight, pounding my face raw. It hurt more than I liked to admit, but the adrenaline that raced through my blood became a source of protection. Gathering all of the strength I could muster in my lower legs, I kicked him off so that he tumbled onto his side, and I hunched over him, showering his face with the force of my knuckles. They bled as the came in contact with his teeth, causing one of them to fall, and his fingers scratched at my eyes. He nipped me in the corner of my left eye, and I howled back in pain, my reflexes begging me to cover the sting. He used the opening to punch me in the stomach and my breath poured out of me at the impact. Dodoria was _strong_ , although not as powerful as Zarbon, but enough to cause me pain I would feel later. He laughed while I hunched over clutching my stomach, cursing his name to the lower depths of hell. I ran at him head on, using my head to reciprocate the damage and meet the softness of his belly. He fell back again, and I kicked him hard in the side, spewing out a spittle of blood at his feet. My feet did not stop their reign of thunder, and soon Dodoria clutched his side and begged for it to stop. I sat on top of him, my knees creating holes in the dirt, and punched him as hard as I could, silently thanking Roshi for all of his hard labor. Each blow made his head weave to the left and right, tears spilling out of his eyes without his consent. As the sound of each hard punch echoed in my ears, my heart began to pound in my chest in contentment. With a final, hardened blow, square to the nose, Dodoria moaned and leaned back, blood gushing from each nostril. I breathed heavily, my hand frozen in the air before I registered that he was done. To convey my beliefs, he waved his hand, unable to articulate the words due to his busted lip. I spit out another blood phlegm at the side of his head and got up, smiling deviously as I made ground again.

I looked around, eager to see how the others fared. Nappa was tackling Ginyu, an over grown boy with black and purple hair in a ponytail, and I could see that both sides had gotten in some serious damage. At the moment, Nappa appeared to have the upper hand, although his face was painted with hues of purple, an eye threatening to close shut. Raditz had taken on Recoome, with his disturbing carrot red Mohawk, and after receiving a swift knee to the stomach, had managed to regain his position and cracked his knuckles against Recoome's teeth. I recoiled, knowing the pain that laced through his knuckles, my own screaming at me in agony. I was proud of them, none the less.

Tien was faring well, too, leaning backwards to dodge one of Burter's powerful fists. Burter tripped him after reading his next move, and Tien used his other ankle to bring him down with him. Once both bodies were on the ground, Tien kicked him in the groin repeatedly. Burter yelped in pain, and Tien used the small window to catch his breath. A low blow move in a fight, but if it meant our victory I would save the complaints.

Yamcha was using his martial arts moves against Jeice, his white hair pooling over his face as Yamacha kicked his chin. Jeice had caught it, swinging Yamcha backwards until his head hit the ground with a thud. He groaned at the impact, but still managed to move out of the way before Jeice brought his foot down on top of him. I had started to move in his direction to help him, but Yamcha regained the upper hand, standing and bringing his hand down in a straight line violently against Jeice's neck. He screamed out in agony and dropped over, and Yamcha repaid his beatings by kneeing him in the stomach. The four of them looked absolutely horrifying with the pains of their fights engraved visibly on their bodies, but their spirit did not let them cower in defeat. My own face was beginning to feel the effects of Dodoria's unrelenting fists, but I would not give in to the pain yet.

Krillin was having the worst of it, and I wasn't surprised given his small stature and too kind for this world mannerisms. His opponent, Guldo, had chosen him on purpose because of their equal height. Guldo was a fat thing, although nowhere near as grotesque as Dodoria, but he was fast, and I had to blink a few times to follow his movements. He had Krillin pinned down, his fists colliding with the soft flesh of his face, and I wasted no time in running over to help him. I pulled Guldo off with a loud yell, just in time as Krillin waved his fists in protest, and was delighted to see that Guldo's face was bleeding and swollen. Krillin had done well, but even he knew when enough was enough.

He landed on the ground with a loud thump, and it only took two swift blows to the face for him to be knocked out cold. Knowing that Guldo wasn't at all a pussy, I nodded at Krillin for his good efforts in weakening him. He gave me a lazy thumbs up before reclining backwards, his lungs gasping for air.

Tien punched Burter in the stomach once more before head butting him, and Burter had enough of the pain. He verbally gave his admission of defeat, and I noticed that he eyed Dodoria's fallen frame before smiling. Tien caught his breath as he dropped to his knees, meeting my gaze and nodding.

Yamcha looked as if he would keel over before kneeing Jeice in the face, his blood pouring out of his nose like a leaky faucet, and he landed on his stomach with a groan. He waved his hand up, possibly knowing that he did not stand a chance as the others fell, and Yamcha groaned with relief, clutching his side.

Raditz and Nappa were finished, both of them making their way to me with their fists raised high.

"Fucking yes!" Raditz jumped slightly off the ground, wincing as his feet met the Earth again, "We fucking showed those dumbass Icejins!"

"Shit they were strong though," Nappa leaned over and rested his palms on his knees, taking in thankful breaths, "for a second there I wasn't sure if we would come out of this thing."

"But we did," I wiggled my tongue around in my mouth to feel if any teeth were loose, and breathed a sigh of relief when they were all still intact, "we fucking did."

"Hey," Raditz voice was hoarse, and rightfully so as I heard his yells over anyone else's, "I know you sons of bitches are still awake long enough to hear us, so you'd better make good on your promise and leave us the fuck alone."

Dodoria groaned as he got up, his hand clutching his head. He looked at me with a glare of death, and I shot him a devilish grin in retaliation. "I told you," he wiped the trail of blood that spilled down his mouth, "I keep good on my promises." He lifted his weight to his feet, not an easy task as he struggled to even rest on his knees, and slowly stood, wobbling to the side. "Get up you fucking pieces of shits," he yelled to the others, his eyes narrowing in on mine, "we don't have any further business here."

They all groaned in protest, each one of them looking at us smugly, but we were too proud of our own win that we didn't care.

"Wipe that look off your faces, you jackasses," Ginyu stood over Guldo, helping him up, "you may have won here, but there's no way you're winning in that courtoom _Vegeta_." I snarled at the mentioning as I had successfully put it in the back of my mind in preparation for this fight. Ginyu smirked when he realized he had gotten me. "Once you're in the big joint, and everyone is pounding into _all_ parts of you, you'll be _begging_ and _wishing_ that it was the Icejiins taking care of you. Why, you might even run into _Frieza_ ; I'm sure he has lots to talk to you about, with Zarbon had being his favorite and all." He grinned again before giving me his back, leaving me to stand there like an idiot with my fists balled up at my sides.

A hand on my shoulder shook me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see Nappa staring a hole into Ginyu's back. "Don't worry about that Vegeta," he said, still not looking down at me, "you did fucking awesome, and that's a good way to end this night. Or start it, whatever the hell time it is. It'll all be alright."

"Yeah," Raditz spit some phlegm at the ground, "fuck those guys and that bullshit. We'll deal with that later. For now, let's go home and nurse these wounds, and go see Kakarot in the morning. The little shit will be thrilled when we tell him." He flashed us his canines, and I couldn't help but to reciprocate.

"You guys handled yours too, even you little guy," Nappa had turned to the others, "and I thank you entirely for that. Whatever any of you need, the Saiyajins got you," he put his fist over his chest, as Raditz and I did the same, "and like that fat fuck Dodoria, I keep my promises."

"It was not an issue," Tien arched his shoulders back, working out the kinks and nodded at Nappa, "besides," he looked at my proudly, "I owed Vegeta a favor. Helping out was the least I could do."

"The debt is paid," I walked forward and shook Tien's hand, following suit with Krillin and Yamcha. They were good guys, and I was proud to have met them.

We left the park to go our separate ways, and I looked forward to seeing Kakarot in the morning.

Nothing would do me better than to tell him that, on his honor, we had won.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning we found ourselves piled into Nappa's car on route to the hospital. Sleep did not take us the night before as we lay awake in our shared pain, huddled in the living room eating chocolate cake to our fill. Raditz decided to do a play by play of the fight, and minutes turned into hours as we celebrated our victory, and soon the sun had greeted us. I contacted the others to tell them to meet us, but Roshi assured us they were resting and I bothered them no further. I figured that they would come at their own leisure.

Kakarot was awake when we arrived, and I saw that they had moved him onto his back. He lay on aloe vera cloths, a new procedure they were trying to minimize his pain. His face was browned in some places due to the burning and pale in others. Kakarot nor Raditz shared my olive skin tone, but the pigment that possessed them was in no way pale; it was alarming to see such a sight.

He squint his eyes at us as we entered, a genuine smile capturing his face. Raditz made his way to his head, gingerly massaging his scalp. No matter how old Kakarot got, Raditz had never failed in his role as an older brother, taking on the role of guardian after their parents died. We were kindred spirits, in that fashion, and it created a bond between us that was unbreakable.

"Hey guys," his voice was raspy and light, but full of amusement, "you all look terrible."

"You should be one to talk," Raditz smiled down at Kakarot as his fingers continued their magic, "I wish I had a mirror."

Kakarot chuckled before breaking into a cough, and Nappa passed his Styrofoam cup of water to him, bending the straw so it was easy to drink.

"Thanks, Nappa. So," he looked at me and grinned, "how did it go?"

I grinned back, unable to stop the arrogance as they laced my words. "Exactly as I planned, Kakarot. We were victorious."

"Yeah, you should've seen those bastards," Raditz stopped his massaging to pump his fist outward, a display of the beating he gave Recoome, "they put up a good fight, I won't lie, but in the end they were no match for us."

"That's awesome, guys," he gave us a thumbs up, his eyes shining despite their lazy half lid, "I never doubted you guys for one second. And the others? Tien and the guys? Did they make good on their word?"

I nodded, feeling the same sense of pride I felt for them the night before. "They did. And they each held their own pretty well. I'm very grateful to them."

"We all are," Nappa spoke, although his tone wasn't as light hearted as ours, forcing me to look to him to see what was his problem, "without them we would be worse for wear."

"They're good guys," Kakarot reclined his head, breathing a sigh of relief at the ease of tension on his neck, "I knew it from the first time we met them at Roshi's. Remember, Vegeta? When Yamcha showed us that roundhouse kick?"

I chuckled, the picture of Kakarot's many attempts before finally landing it correctly painting in my mind. "How could I forget? I thought you'd break your ass with all the falls you took."

"He made it look so easy, but I got better. So much so that he had to tell me to back off. Those days were good. I wish I could have had more of them."

"Why are you talking like that?" Nappa grabbed my shoulder and shook his head, but I brushed his hand away. "When you get out of here, we'll have plenty of good days."

"Yeah," Raditz grinned at me, "especially now that those dumbass Icejins won't be a problem."

Kakarot lay quiet, the only sounds of his heart rate monitor and breathing machine filling the silent void. After a while he took a deep breath, the sudden sound causing me to jolt. "Bulma and Chi-Chi came to visit. They're nice girls."

"I ran into them before I came to see you yesterday," heat coursed through my lips as I remembered our embrace and my hands longed to rake through her curls again. After our encounter, I swallowed my need, knowing that we would not get the chance.

"That Chi-Chi sure is pretty," Kakarot swallowed hard and smiled, "and she's tough. I thought you were a gonner the way she talked to you Raditz."

"Hmph," Raditz scoffed, poking Kakarot in the shoulder, "she's got a lot of mouth on her. I could find better ways to put it to use."

"That's why you've always had problems with girls, Raditz. Mom always said that you would be a great uncle because no woman would give you her children."

"Yeah well, mom married dad, so she was no expert on great relationships."

"I guess you're right. But dad wasn't half bad though, he did right by us." Kakarot looked up at Raditz, his eyes shining. "Where do you think they're at right now, Raditz?"

Raditz looked as if someone had electrocuted him, his breath hitching in his throat. He understood the loaded question that Kakarot had asked and shushed him. "Somewhere that you won't be visiting for a long time, little bro. A very long time from now."

Kakarot ignored him, dipping his chin to the top of his chest and glancing my way. "Are you gonna ask Bulma on a date, Getes? You two would look nice together, way better than her other guy."

 _You mean Zarbon_ , I wanted to say, but thought better of it. Instead I shook my head, my eyes narrowing to the ground. "There's no point. At the end of the day, she's where she belongs and so am I."

"Too bad," he sighed and looked at the ceiling, "I would've loved to take Chi-Chi out. Find out what kind of food she likes to eat or cook. She looks like the kind of girl who makes good food for her guy. I would've treated her real nice."

"Stop it, Kakarot," Raditz hand squeezed Kakarot's shoulder gently, yet still drove his point, "stop speaking with such finalities."

Kakarot slowly, and painfully, raised his arm so that his hand rested on top of Raditz, his fingers lightly skimming his bruised knuckles. "You're a great brother, Raditz. You're a terrible cook, and sometimes you were tough on me for no reason, but I never loved you any less."

"Now you know I don't like that sentimental shit, Kakarot," Raditz chuckled but his voice was thick, and I could tell the way he gripped his brother's shoulder that he appreciated the kind words, "save it for your wedding day or something. I'll even give a speech about how we all thought you were gay for a while."

Nappa snorted and I laughed too, remembering a few years back when we thought of sitting him down and asking the truth, readily available to tell him that we would look at him no differently. Times had changed, and I would've never thought I'd end up here.

Kakarot laughed lightly, and I could tell the strain was hard on him. His eyes fluttered to mine again, and I wondered if he would kick us out to sleep. "Do you remember, Vegeta? Back at Roshi's when I asked you about the afterlife?"

My stomach turned and I caught my breath, the nature of the conversation striking me in the chest. Nappa and Raditz turned their shock to me, their faces coming alive with their various questions. I cleared my throat to escape their torment. "Yes, I remember."

He smiled lazily at me. "Good. There's this nurse that comes in right after they give me my meds and she reads to me. I don't know what religion she practices and I never thought to ask, but the words are….real beautiful. They talk about how anyone can find forgiveness if they ask for it, and how no one is doomed to a bad place afterwards if they seek repentance. I asked her if that meant murderers, and I swear to you she smiled at me so sweetly and told me even them. And it made me feel good, you know? To know that just like that I could be forgiven."

"Why," the back of my throat felt wet, as if tears would rush out before I gave them permission, and it suddenly became too thick to swallow, "why are you telling us this?"

Kakarot's expression changed; gone was his good hearted nature and in its wake was something more serious, more emotional. He gestured for me to come closer and I obliged, feeling the heavy weight of Nappa's eyes on my back. I need not turn around to see the words that lay beneath his gaze.

"I'm alright, Vegeta. I'm alright with how everything is going to be, and I don't regret it. I'm glad Chiaotzu is alright, and I'm glad you're alright too. If I had to, I'd do it again, except I would change that expression on your face," his mouth curved upwards in a smile, and I felt hot liquid rush down my cheeks. Damn him; damn that Kakarot.

"Kakarot," Raditz voice was breaking, and I trusted he too was finding it hard to keep his composure.

"It's okay, Raditz," Nappa spoke, his voice fatherly yet soft, and he nodded at Kakarot. "This is the best time, Kakarot. We're all here."

Kakarot nodded back, his blinks becoming slower. I whipped my head around to Nappa, my eyes widening. He bore his gaze into mine, forcing me to remember our conversation at the ice cream place. The tears came out harder, and I made no moves to stop them.

"Nappa," Kakarot rasped, "you do a good job with Vegeta. He's fortunate to have you, we all are. I know you'll keep doing it."

"Like my life depended on it."

I turned back to Kakarot, my eyes pleading with him to hang on. It was as if he was looking forward to go, and in that moment I had to ask if I blamed him. To go to this peaceful land that the nurse had shared with him seemed a lot better than this hell of an existence.

Still, the selfish part of me did not want to endure that pain.

"I'm tired, Vegeta," he broke my silent thoughts, and his voice portrayed his words, "I waited for you guys, and I'm glad I did, but I'm real sleepy." He blinked and for a second I thought he wouldn't open his eyes again, but he did. I didn't feel relieved, as I knew that the moments were dwindling down. Raditz took a shaky breath and moved towards the window, his fist pounding down hard against the wall. I heard him take more deep huffs and knew that he was trying to not crumble apart.

"Make sure Raditz is all right. Make sure everyone is all right," he reached out and grabbed my hand and I let him, squeezing his fingers lightly. "You're golden, Getes, you know that? I'm no expert in reading auras, but if I could I'd bet my ass that yours is a golden color, like the sun first thing in the morning. Always remember that, okay?" He closed his eyes and slowly opened them, a peaceful smile playing upon his lips. "Thank you for protecting the Saiyajins. You're super for that." He chuckled before continuing. "I guess I'd call you a super Saiyajin."

I wiped my nose and laughed at his terrible joke. "You just couldn't resist huh?"

"Naw, it wouldn't be me if I didn't say something that you thought was silly. I need you to remember me by something other than these stupid scars."

"You're a fool if that's what you think, Kakarot," I found the next words hard to say. Not because of their sentiment, but because my words got caught in the web of tears lodged in the back of my throat. I forced them out anyways, my voice soft and heavy, "you're…you're my best friend, Kakarot."

"Ditto, Getes." His hand went a limp in mine as he closed his eyes. "Ditto."

He drew a breath, the same satisfying breath one takes as they relax in their bed after a long day, and then he was gone.

The heart rate monitor taunted us with this fact, humming a monotone loud enough to wake the whole damn hospital.

"Kakarot?" Raditz whirled around, pressing his palms against either side of Kakarot's shoulder blades. "Hey, damnit, wake the hell up! Come on, don't do this shit, you can't do this shit." He slapped the side of his face in short, light contacts, the sound of his hollow flesh making me sick to my stomach.

"Raditz-" Nappa stepped forward, his own eyes red and cheeks puffed.

"Shut up!" He turned to glare angrily at Nappa before resuming his actions to his brother, "Kakarot, wake up you son of a bitch or I'll fucking kill you! How are you just gonna leave, huh? How!?" His words turned into sobs as he broke down completely, the weight of his body falling down on Kakarot's chest. His cries were deep, coming from the pit of his belly, and his chest vibrated so hard that it shook the table. "How are you just gonna leave me like that? After mom and dad, you selfish punk!" He rose up, his nose globbed with mucus and tears and his eyes puffy. He whipped past me, but I was unable to move my eyes from Kakarot.

"Hey!" Raditz called into the hallway, "What the fuck is wrong with you guys?! My brother in here needs assistance, damnit! What the fuck kind of shit job nurses are you?!"

I could hear the scattering of feet and a woman's voice trying to calm him down, only to be met with more of Raditz' obscenities. They moved in forcefully, demanding that we leave the room and closing the door behind us. The monotone of the heart monitor still buzzed in my ears, as everything else drowned around me, fading into a haze as I tried to come to grips with what the hell just happened.

* * *

The week after Kakarot left us was a blur of grey.

People called to pay their respects, and even a letter from Bulma and Chi-Chi had arrived in the mail, along with a gift certificate to a florist for his grave. He would appreciate the gesture, this I knew.

Neither Nappa nor I had heard from Raditz. He stormed out of the hospital after we got kicked out and I hadn't seen him since. Nappa assured me that he needed time to get his head together, seeing as Kakarot was the only person he really had left. I knew this to be true as well, and I pressed the subject no further.

We planned a private service, inviting Roshi and the guys, and anyone else who wanted to come pay their respects. It was small, an attendance of only about fifteen, as we buried him in the ground. His coffin was plain, but Nappa had put every ounce of money he could to make sure he had better than a cardboard box, so it was fitting. The skies sympathized with us as grey clouds hovered above, singing their song of sadness upon us as heavy rain mucked the dirt.

Raditz was still a no show.

I was beginning to worry, wondering how he could miss something so important, but I didn't need to wonder for much longer.

Later that evening, Nappa received a call from him, drunken off his ass after binging on whisky and cheap beer.

"Raditz," I heard Nappa grunt, "I know this is hard for you, but you missed your own brother's funeral so that you could get piss drunk on the streets of South City?"

"Fuck, Napper," Raditz was screaming so loud that I could hear him clearly and I shook my head, the fool. "He's gone, he's really gone, 'n thurs nuffn I can do bout it." His words were completely slurred, and I wanted to punch him in the face for his disrespect.

Something told me that wherever Kakarot had found himself, he was getting a good laugh out of this.

"You'll make it, Raditz," Nappa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "hey, who the hell are you shouting at?"

"These no good fucking Icejiins!"

"Icejiins!?" Nappa rose to his feet abruptly, forcing me to do the same, "what the fuck do you think you're doing, Raditz? Are you trying to start a war again!?"

"I'm tryna get some revenge! They took my bro 'way frumme, Napper. So come out 'n fight me, you fuckin cowardssss!"

Nappa motioned for me to grab my coat as he grabbed his keys, muttering curses under his breath. "Goddamnit, Raditz! Where the hell are you?"

"I dunno, but I got mah pistol ready to spill some blood," Nappa had placed him on speaker, and it sounded like he took another swig of his liquor.

"Stop and wait for me, Raditz. Don't do anything _fucking_ stupid." He fumbled putting the keys into the ignition, but managed to start the car.

We heard shots, and my chest dropped. I couldn't believe Raditz would act like this, considering all that we had been through.

"Stop fucking shooting, Raditz! What the fuck man!?"

"Tell dem sonsabitches to stop shooting first!"

"Who? Is it Dodoria?"

"Hell no, I wish it was Dodoria!" Raditz was shouting something unintelligible in the background to whomever he was arguing with before returning to the phone "It's the goddamned cops!"

Nappa damned near jerked the car off of the road, and my eyes widened. I knew Raditz was a dumbass, and I knew he was handling this poorly, but I had never expected him to have a shootout with the police.

"RADITZ!" Nappa yelled into the receiver so loudly I clutched my ears. "Raditz, put down your fucking gun, you dumb piece of shit!"

"You sound like em, Napper," he laughed, his actions fueled heavily by his liquid poisons, "and I say the same thing to youse," another three shots were heard, "fucking never!"

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck!_ " Nappa began to speed faster now, barely dodging other cars and running red lights. "Where the hell are you, Raditz!?"

He didn't reply, a thunderstorm of bullets echoing from the phone. Nappa's face went pale and my breath hitched as he came to a stop. In the background, after the bullets died, a muffled voice was heard shouting, "Alright he's down! No pulse, shooter is declared dead."

Nappa pulled over, clutching the phone so tightly I thought he would break it. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, the honking of the horn blaring in short bursts of protest. "Goddamnit!" he breathed, not knowing whether to be livid or cry, and continued his string of curses. I could do nothing but lean my head back against the seat, and take deep breaths.

Raditz would make the paper the next day; instead of entering Icejin territory, he had wandered directly into downtown South City in his drunken stupor, outside of a senior citizen building. The cops had been called and he shot at them, and the rest was carefully detailed in the paper, labeling him a thug.

I had hoped that Raditz would find Kakarot, hoping that he too asked for forgiveness in his last breaths, and found their parents. I hoped they would find mine, too, and live together, watching down on myself and Nappa.

It's the only thought that I have that helps me make peace with all of this.

* * *

With all that had happened so suddenly, I held little regards for my court case the following week.

I had spent the afternoon before the final trial with Nappa, talking about how fucked up my life had managed to go. Nappa told me to consider myself lucky that I still _had_ a life, and I couldn't argue with him.

Walking into the courtroom, dressed in the only suit I owned, I felt the condemning stares of the occupants swallowing me alive. I couldn't tell who was related to Zarbon, and no Icejiins showed up, but it didn't matter as they all looked at me with a mixture of pity and hatred.

I took one look at the judge in his hardened years, a man who had a reputation for no nonsense, and knew he would throw the book at me. I envisioned myself as an old man with greying hair, leaning back on a bunker and considering my life choices. The thought alone made my head ache and my stomach turn, but there was no taking anything back. If only I could wish it, to whomever was listening, Kakarot and Raditz would still be here, and Bulma would be under the heat of my body, crying out my name in a passionate fury.

I shook my head of the trivial thoughts, forcing my brain to comprehend reality. I stood before the judge, crossing my arms and holding my hands like Nappa had instructed me to. My lawyer was some court appointed turd who didn't give a damn if I was guilty or not, just as long as he got his check. "Makes no difference to me if you're innocent," he told me prior to the hearing, "just as long as some poor son of a bitch believes you are."

The judge had petitioned for no jury, and I found it odd yet disappointing. If he didn't need anyone to decide my fate, then that must have meant his own mind had been made. _Vegeta, the Kind-of Murderer,_ or _Dumbass Kid Makes Bad Decisions and Gets Life_ and other dramatic headlines surged through my mind leaving me to shiver at the core. The real kicker, _Kid Goes to Prison and Dies at Hands of Gang Lord Frieza_ , caused vile to litter my mouth.

The judge read over various testimonies, most of them anonymous and telling of how I should rot, annoying my ears. A few stood out, telling of what _really_ happened, and by the nature of the words, I concluded they came from Raditz, Nappa, Chi-Chi and Bulma.

He rubbed his temple and sighed, clicking a pen in his hand that resided on his cheek, and stared at me square in the eyes, readjusting his glasses. Make them red, and he could pass for Roshi, if I could be so lucky.

"I won't pretend that you're some saint, and it's a shame that you're so young and caught up in this mess," he spoke, shuffling through his papers, "but from my understanding, the real suspect here passed away recently. My condolences go to any member of his family that is sitting in the benches, yourself included young man." My stomach dropped, knowing that the only other family member Kakarot had sealed his own idiotic, and sad, fate.

"After careful deliberation and speaking with the persons who gave these testimonies, it is in my most humble judgement that the only mistake you made was finding yourself caught up in these _silly_ gang wars, fighting and what have you," he scoffed and rolled his eyes, leaving me to wonder just how many times someone like me stood before him. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that you waste your life away in some confinement, when I could have made a different decision. Besides," he cleared his throat, "there's already been too much pain here. I'm not an old turtle hermit, and I'm very much aware of the heroic act you and that other young man did, and I will tell you that it heavily influences my verdict. So let the court show that as of today, at 12:15 pm, I, the honorable Judge Gero Dokuta, find that the defendent, Vegeta No'Ouji, is in no way responsible for the death of said victim, Zarbon Generu, and hereby free of any punishments under said court system. I hope that this makes you rethink your life, Mr. No'Ouji. Second chances are rarely given, and _I_ rarely give them. I don't want to have to see you in my court again, not even for an unpaid traffic ticket. Go on and live your life the _right_ way. This court session is adjourned." He rang down his gavel, and at the sound of the wood meeting wood, my knees buckled and only the podium held me up.

Nappa shouted behind me in glee, while others groaned their anger. I didn't care; I was a free man and nothing or no one could change that. As we exited the courtroom, I couldn't help but look at the sky and thank Kakarot, my gut somehow believing that he had something to do with my change of luck.

The sun beamed warmly against my back, and a gentle breeze swam through my hair, and no one can ever get me to believe that he hadn't embraced my thanks with a response of his own.

* * *

Keeping the vow to myself, and following the better advice of the judge, I decided to leave South City and return to Roshi's. Nappa understood, mumbled some shit about how he would miss me and tried to pretend that he had never uttered the words. I didn't hold him to his lies.

Nappa soon followed suit, meeting some blonde haired girl at a bar and deciding to entertain her notion of dinner at an appropriate time. One date and he was smitten; making the notion to settle down and make an honest woman out of her. Last I heard she was pregnant, and he couldn't be more elated, thanking me for showing him what kind of headaches to look forward to.

Roshi welcomed me back along with the others, chuckling about how he kept good on his word about seeing each other again. He's annoying, and I'm sure that I will have words with him someday, but he's good to me, and I refuse to complain.

Life with Krillin, Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu is fulfilling, and I'm thankful that they give me company to occupy my days with. Of course we still spend those days working under the hard labor of Roshi, but my muscles have no grievances. I _do_ plan on being Roshi's age and in better shape, if I have my say so.

I won't pretend like some days aren't hard, or that when the wind blows I don't hear echoes of Kakarot's laughter, ceasing my activity and forcing me to fight back tears. I wish I had the opportunity to have more good days with him, like I so naively expressed to him at the hospital. Most nights I talk to him before I sleep; my mind alluding to me that he responds, and the thought lulls me to a quiet sleep.

I also won't pretend like I don't spend afternoons thinking about _her_ , wondering what she's doing or if she found someone else to adorn on her arm. I wonder, if such is the case, if he looks at her with marvel like I had, getting lost in her sea of curls and her cerulean eyes, sucking away at her cherry lips until they are plump with mercy. I torture myself with the ideas, and quickly find something else to distract me. It's not an easy task, as the color that is so _magnificently_ hers surrounds me, either in the depths of the lake out back, or in the fresh dawn of morning, the sun rising perfectly to meet the blue kissed sky.

And in those moments, where my chest agonizes with the _what ifs_ , I stop and think, if we _had_ been destined to live that other life, how different my life would be, if for more than a few fleeting moments, Bulma was _mine_.

 **THE END  
**

* * *

 _A/N: And that's all she wrote guys._ **  
**

 _I was debating on if I wanted to take my time and upload it, but I'm super excited and I wanted to post it now. :D_

 _Thank you to everyone who voted, read and had lovely comments to write on this story, you guys are the best and I love it!_

 _Congratulations to LadyVegeets who won the Literature Contest. And she most definitely deserved it, as her story (ALL of her stories) are amazing! Haven't read any? What are you waiting for! You're missing out!_

 _You guys should take a moment to read all of the submissions on The Prince and The Heiress (tumblr or google+) because they are all GOOD. Like sooo Good, and they all deserve all of the praise and feedback. If you're die hard DBZ/Vegebul fans like we are, come on and join and meet some awesome people with amazing talents. I promise you it's a good time._

 _Thank you guys again, and I hope you enjoyed my take on this classic. R &R please!_

 _If you liked this, I am currently writing a B/V dark sci-fi entitled Odd|yssey. I'm currently in chapter 2 and writing chapter 3,and I would love to converse with you guys!_

 _Till next time, friends!_

 _-Bitchii-Usa_


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